A very beneficial winter cover crop is Cereal Rye, aka Winter Rye. In addition to serving as a winter cover crop to protect the soil, the roots of Cereal Rye is a trap plant for Root Nematodes. The root nematodes will be attracted to the rye roots where they will be trapped and killed. In the spring, as soon as the rye sends up seed heads, cut off the plants at soil level and leave the tops on the soil to serve as a green manure. In a couple weeks the rye roots will have decomposed, the root nematodes will be gone, and the soil will be enriched by the green manure as well as the decomposed roots. Be sure, though, to use Cereal Rye, and DO NOT plant Annual Rye Grass.

@TheGDChap

Жыл бұрын

Saw this tip this morning, immeditely went to the garden centre and got some Winter Rye, looking forward to seeing the results. Hopefulyl I am not too late here in the UK in sowing them.

@juned5442

Жыл бұрын

At what point can you grow other crops once the rye is cut and used as green manure please?

@ohio_gardener

Жыл бұрын

@@juned5442 As soon as the rye sends up seed heads, cut off the plants at the soil level and leave the tops on the soil as mulch. In a couple weeks the roots will have decomposed, and you can start planting through them.

@ohio_gardener

Жыл бұрын

@@catcor2154 No, I grow it for a cover crop only.

@juned5442

Жыл бұрын

thanks Ohio

I really enjoyed this video Huw, masses of information and lots of lovely footage - thank you!

What I love about Huw, is he doesn't "shoot the bull". Every sentence is informative:) Thanks for your videos and knowledge.

@jeepman1961

Жыл бұрын

TRUE!!

@HuwRichards

Жыл бұрын

Awh thanks Pam! Time is precious🌱

@Rielsufficiency

Жыл бұрын

Yes!! 🙌 we don’t have to spend 5 mins hearing a long lead in, information from the beginning to the end of the video

Trick I learned from my aunt for growing radish is to multi sow 3 or 4 seeds in a grid pattern as this means you don’t waste seeds through thinning and can stagger your harvest over a longer period of time

@KESHAVTHAKUR282

Жыл бұрын

Ohhhh🤫

Huw is very knowledgeable, and his garden looks gloriously healthy. They say the proof is in the pudding. I sincerely enjoy his channel and clear method of communication!

An old farmer told me that back before buying fertilizers was the common thing, he would plant oats on newly acquired land to get it ready for a wheat crop the following year I don't know the science behind it but apparently the wheat was almost double normal yield that next year when he did that He told me about another guy who used to grow a clover crop every few years and never bothered with fertilizer, but that was a long time ago

@thisorthat7626

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for this information. Farmers learned how to improve their crops long before fertilizers were commonly used and we have forgotten a lot of this knowledge. Oats also make a great feed for horses, mules and cows over winter.

Love the animation, so informative! I seeded crimson clover last fall for the first time. It survived the winter and flowered in spring. After cutting it down I planted my Roma tomatoes and sweet peppers and had DOUBLE the produce of previous years. Highly recommended!

@ohio_gardener

Жыл бұрын

I frequently use inoculated Crimson Clover as a living mulch under things like tomatoes, kale, and brussels sprouts. It keeps weeds from sprouting, helps keep the soil moist, and adds nitrogen to the soil. After the clover blooms, I cut it off at soil level and leave for mulch.

@dawnpettiglio6930

Жыл бұрын

Crimson clover is also a medicinal herb. I love using it!

@tracycrider7778

Жыл бұрын

@@ohio_gardenerohhhhh definitely will do it 💜

@brianaltena96

Жыл бұрын

I have a bunch of crimson clover seeds here. I did not experiment with them. Do they not grow back after cutting? What about red clover?

@ohio_gardener

Жыл бұрын

@@brianaltena96 Crimson Clover is an annual, and depends on seeds from the blooms to re-grow. If the clover is cut off at soil level while in bloom it will die. Red Clover is a perennial and will continue regrowing from the roots.

With the hot summer and a lack of mulch material, I bought some bailed straw and mulched pretty much all the beds, since commercial wheat/barley is mostly short stem, is then combined and put into huge round bails thesdays, straw bails (the smaller square bails) are usally made from wheat/barley grown specifically for the small bail horse bedding market rather than the seed/crop, if it is combined it's with older less efficient machines, so it still contains most of the seeds - which means you get an added bonus voulenteer cover crop! It worked brilliantly between potatoes, corn, toms/peppers and bush/pole beans, most of the crops are out now but the wheat/barley and mulch is still covering the beds for winter.

Thank you for this! I'm currently taking a course in soil science and I find all this extra info really fascinating. I'm glad to see channels on KZread diving deeper into this information.

There are 2 weeds that grow here in profusion. They are lambs quarters and red pigweed. These are annual weeds that produce thousands of seeds. They grow up to 3 feet high and have many branches on each plant. If you cut them off at the ground level before they set seed you can safely add them to your compost pile. They provide a considerable amount of green materials for the heap. Lambs quarters are edible when young. Unlike bindweed, which we also have a lot of, lambs quarters and pig weed do not propagate vegetatively. They propagate by seed only. They will grow back from the established root giving you another round of greens for your fall compost pile.

Thank you Huw for the more indepth information on how important it is to nurture and protect the soil. It helps to know "the why" of what we need to do, to better our soil and to grow healthier crops. Great video! Blessings on your day Kiddo from Ohio 🥰🌻🐛🍁🍂

This is my first year doing cover crops. I’m slowly fixing my practices! 🥰 Love these videos.

Huw great information I am glad that you mention the daikon radish as i plant a few. Buckwheat is one my favourite wild flowers.

Hi Huw, just to say I have now purchased a Forest Master chipper and it's working well so far. In regard to cover crops I have sown mustard in all the bare ground I have and the bees, hover flies etc seem to love it. It's also quite peppery and good on my salads. A tip for Rye, firstly don't use perennial varieties next let them go to seed but cut down before the seeds become mature. I grew my brussel sprouts among my broad beans, clearing enough space to allow light to get to the plants, then cut down the broad beans once they had finished

Awesome video! Excellent content and production. Thanks!

another great use of cover crops like buckwheat and rapeseed is as food for chickens or rabbits which in turn give your garden amazing manure

Muchas gracias Huw!!! Cuánta información valiosa!!! Luce hermoso tu. huerto!!!

What a wonderful, informative video, thanks Huw

Hola desde chile ..me encantan tus videos muy inspirador y siempre preparándome para la nueva temporada ..gracias

Thank you for such an interesting video! Such great info.

Improve the soil is the best advice

What a fantastic video. With so much information. Thank you 😊

@HuwRichards

Жыл бұрын

My pleasure!!:)

Have saved seed for a long time now, I am still amazed how a handful of plants can produce so much seed, especially herbs. So I've taken to using all the extra for cover crop, now knowing how many of those really pull nutrients from the subsoil and/or put on huge amounts of growth and biomass in a short period of time. With seed also getting so stupidly expensive it's cut down on the cost greatly.

Great video! I missed the contest. Love your garden!

Really enjoyed this video, very informative. On my second year of using cover crops, I've a very large allotment and find using them helps balance out my compost which I can never generate enough. Interestingly I've found that mustard deters wireworm, they hate it, with that in mind I've sown mustard before planting potatoes and there's been no sign of wireworm.

well done, Huw, thank you!

Many thanks Huw and the team simply Brilliant - So helpful

@HuwRichards

Жыл бұрын

Our pleasure! :)

And more , it's the best both grow worls !

Hello this tips are so informative ,thank you.

@HuwRichards

Жыл бұрын

I'm so pleased - thank you!

Very informative and helpful video 👏 despite being on different climate zones.

@HuwRichards

Жыл бұрын

Awh I'm pleased!! Thank you

I had some health food sprout seeds of alfalfa that were out of date and I was not eating sprouts enough to use this pound of seeds. I tossed them out on a bed I had sort of prepped.. Not very well because I knew a tree was going to be dropped on the bed.. They came up and did okay despite the Texas heat. After they died, with minimal flowering I thought little of it. Until the next year where that triangular bed that was clearly defined was FAR more green than any other bed despite no other treatment. Cover crops work.. even with the sandiest soil with less than 1" of topsoil...

Muchas gracias. Lindo día!

Thank you!

Hay Huw... I'm glad you brought this up,I must say that alot of it went over my head,being autistic I don't always get things the way others do. My main issue is I'm growing in growbags ATM till I can make some raised beds as I don't have much money-another story. I am obviously growing in compost and I thought it was ok. But I'm now finding,after one year,that it's a bit off. And obviously it's the little bits and worms and the little stuff in the soil that is no good. So that's what I need to improve to get more food next year. Some of my bags have winter crops in like kale and turnips, purple brocli,lettuce. But I have growbags with potatoes in that are due to come out in the next week or so. How best is to get the soil better? Leave it in the bags and grow cover crops like you say,or to put it all in a big deep bag and then grow? Would it be better to grow half in one side and another the other side and then the 2 will benefit the soil? I just don't know how to go about it. I have also been adding loads of perlite and Coco core to try to help add airation as it Peetfree or reduced one or other. And it's becoming very hard with the dry season.so its not taking in water well. I thought compost was gold but only if it's got goodness in it is what I'm learning. Sorry for essay. Please reply when you have time and please try to explain how I can help my garden do better. Thanks in advance

@dawnpettiglio6930

Жыл бұрын

Be a little careful of the salt level of coconut coir. I soak it, drain then soak a second time to reduce the problem. If you are able to make your own compost, it will be a great addition to your bags. One other issue is missing minerals by using soilless potting mix. If you have access to some untainted soil, a handful would also help in your grow bags.

@cherylhowker1792

Жыл бұрын

@@dawnpettiglio6930 what is untantad soil? Sorry I have autism and don't always get it! Lol I have shop brought compost in them and I am making my own but only started about 6months ago and problem only made 50L lol so not off the ground yet.

@hoosierpioneer

Жыл бұрын

@@cherylhowker1792 Some of this is overwhelming for those of us without autism, so give yourself some credit. And keep asking questions to learn👩‍💻

@cherylhowker1792

Жыл бұрын

@@hoosierpioneer if you can give me some advice I would appreciate it. I will be taking out the potatoes something this week as the weather is turning very very wet and don't want them to be messed up by the rain.

How do I know what my cover crops my soil needs? New to no dig x

Always love your videos

@HuwRichards

Жыл бұрын

Thank you!

radish ,mustard and tagetes sown around brassicas can reduce the number of pest root nematodes .

I have an allotment in Holland and its clay soil and I'm trying japanese oats for the first time as a cover crop

@kathya739

Жыл бұрын

We did have clay soil in my Indiana area so planting turnips in the fall, with a mix of mustard greens, took care of the problem. Of course, we love the greens cooked together, and turnips cooked in or raw.qin-win all the way around!

Hi - I’ve got buckwheat, winter tares and crimson clover growing on one bed at the moment. Would you recommend cutting them down now rather than leaving them till the new year? Thanks.

Hello toi ! Ça va ? Superbe ton jardin , bravo grand !

We eat the radish leaves esp. raw very 😋

My only problem with green manure is the fact that bugs seem to hide there…maybe it’s because of zone 9 and not many weather patterns kill bugs here. I find since I don’t use any pesticides ,except my gloved hand , that bugs seem to use it as a hiding spot from birds…snails, pill bugs, squash…

@121homestead9

Жыл бұрын

@A R thanks..my garden is packed with ladybugs right now

Regards from Italy

Another great video!! But I was hoping you would mention winter rye? I planted it in my brand new raised bed. It is about 8" tall now. I live in the Hudson Valley, New York. Again, I love, and share your videos!!

@HuwRichards

Жыл бұрын

Challenges around termination, and as this is an introduction to the topic I don't want to get too bogged down in all the numerous different cover crops, that's for a another video😊

@jeepman1961

Жыл бұрын

@@HuwRichards I look forward to it!!!!

@kathya739

Жыл бұрын

OHIOGARDENER at top of page plants Winter Rye. Check out what he has to say.

We've just got our greenhouse and raised beds ready to go. The raised beds have a layer of branches and leaf matter at the base and soil on top of that. We're too late to start planting now but I wanted to plant cover crops to help ready the soil for our first season of planting. Could you advise what would be best for our raised beds please?

if u see a "15 min add" reload the page, if u still get another add go to a youtube vid downloader nd watch the video from there

Hi! What do you think of borage and marigold for cover crop?

Am I too late to sow cover crops like mustard now? I am in UK Midlands. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.

Hello, could anyone mention tillage cover crops for hotter climates?

Any ideas for a cover crop for a hot and dry season (harmattan in the tropics)

Is buckwheat a good cover crop to use in a bed I plan to grow tomatoes in next season?

Will the roots of the cover crop not damage the garlic bulbs Huw?

How would you sow a cover crop on ground which has been mulched with grass clippings?

Hallo, can you tell me if I planted mustard as cover crop can I use it for making mustard? Thank you for your good explanation on your video's 👍😊

@juneshannon8074

Жыл бұрын

I’m wondering the same thing, lol. Was going to save the seeds anyway.

Is it good time to plant cover crops now

I am looking for cover crop for old ranch land. We are zone 4 with only 18 inches of rain a year. Elevation is 6,300 feet. Winter wheat is commonly grown here but looking for other options. Ideas?

I use broad beans as cover

I've grown hairy vetch for years in my garden and believe it hurt the production of my pole lima beans. I always had success with lima beans until I started planting the vetch in those beds the previous Autumn. The vetch seemed to cause my limas to grow huge leafy plants with no beans. Did you ever run into any cover crops providing too much nitrogen for certain plants?

@juneshannon8074

Жыл бұрын

Huw did say that hairy vetch should only be planted in poor soil, at approx 3/4 into video. I’ve always planted vetch, but as my soil is good now I’m switching to buckwheat.

New-ish to gardening and we are trying to do a deep mulch garden, how do you do cover crops with a deep mulch method garden or can you even? 🤔

@ibrstellar1080

Жыл бұрын

I've started using plastic mulch and works really well for for most veg apart from root crops.

How about parsley as a cover crop? Mine flowered and self seeded and filled up my entire garden bed. I chop it down when I want to plant in that area. It's also overflowed onto the pathways. Any benefits when chopped and left on surface?

@dawnpettiglio6930

Жыл бұрын

It will primarily add nitrogen, biomass (water and oxygen retention) and some bug repellant. It, of course attracts caterpillars, so hopefully you'll have a beautiful garden with fluttering butterflies!

Hi Hugh,a bit of topic,you set up IBC tanks a while back for water collection,I'd like to try it myself, did you go into detail on your setup anywhere, thanks a lot. I'm from the West of Ireland, blessed with rain 🙄😃

@ronanogrady7298

Жыл бұрын

Huw, pardon me

Hi Huw, Could you explain more about how cover crops make the nutrients more bioavailable than simply leaving them in the soil ? Thanks for the great channel.

@danfarkas5375

Жыл бұрын

I've wondered the same thing. It seems like the plants would have to breakdown again in order for the nutrients to be available again. Only thing I could think of would be deeper rooting plants that can mine for nutrients deep in the soil bed. Then those nutrients are made available as they break down on top.

@flatsville1

Жыл бұрын

A living root in the ground from a cover crop while growing annual veg is too much competition for the varieties of annual veg we grow. Jess from No-Till tried to grow both in the same bed. It was a dismal failure for his veg seedlings which grew weak & stunted & never fruited significantly. As I recall, he planted into some white dutch clover which is low growing. It stunted his seedlings which were higher than the srrounding clover. So shading wasn't the problem. The competition was below ground.

Any advice on a cover crop for a bed which doesn't get sun over 4 ish months of the year?

@dawnpettiglio6930

Жыл бұрын

Herbal type plants need less soil, so consider clover.

Hi, Huw. I really appreciate your videos. I know you do a lot of experimentation. I'm wondering if you've done any experimenting with the number of slugs and the impact on your main crop when using chop and drop. I use only compost or bark for mulch to avoid the slugs, but seeing you do this in Wales makes me wonder!

@ibrstellar1080

Жыл бұрын

I was wondering the same as I have a huge slug problem and this could draw ev3n more slugs but I might be wrong.

@angelabyrne154

Жыл бұрын

I think I saw one of his episodes where he leaves a plank of wood in the planted area - the slugs are drawn to the dark damp soil and he disposed of them that way.

Hello Huw, thanks for this video. I am currently growing japanese oats as an cover crop. It is winter killed and helps against potato root nematodes.You said that you don't really rotate your crops but according to local farmers, one should only plant potatoes once every four years because of these nematodes. Do you grow potatoes multiple years on the same spot and if so, what is your experience with that? Next year I am going to expand my garden and I have the space to rotate potatoes if needed so. What is good practice?

@brandyhamilton8944

Жыл бұрын

I would love to know the answer to this question as well

@gladysmcconnell6822

Жыл бұрын

Charles Dowding has planted his potatoes in the same area for a good number of years ( might be 8/9 years)

I feel privileged to be among the first 400 people to view this video!

Hi Huw. I really need to use cover crops and green manures as animal manures and compost are expensive and difficult to get into my are allotment because of poor access. However aren’t your cover crops also acting as refuges for slugs and snails? Risking your main crop?

@ingridbond3432

Жыл бұрын

good question, in Arizona that's not an issue... but in Washington State my mother has endless snail/slug battles

When I try to plant radishes between rows like Huw did, I get scrawny and tiny plants that have zero chance of developing a nice bulbous root. There's not enough sun down there, I guess. What's the secret?

What say you about slugs? I used to chop and drop, but thought it was attracting slugs.

I see you changing the video title :)

Isn’t it too late in the season (zone 8 I think the same as your area…. PNW usa) to plant cover crops to amend my soil?

@dearvictoria4716

Жыл бұрын

I'm in the same area and planted some last week. Usually I would have had them in earlier, but with the late cool weather this year I had so much food in my beds still. All the cover crops are sprouting well already.

It's counter-intuitive to cut & drop cover crops for use as green manure, because this must be the perfect environment for slugs. Obviously the benefits outweigh the downsides?

@annetteheath4694

Жыл бұрын

I guess you could add a thin layer of regular compost on top of the chopped and dropped plant matter. Just a thought. It’s something I have done in the past.

Hi Huw, just wondering if you have any advice for growing broad beans. My broad beans are lovely and tall and full of flowers, but they are just not getting pollinated. It's spring time here in Australia and the garden is full of bees. We are in one of Australia's few temperate zones. I don't know why they aren't bearing fruit :(

@nataliemcaskill3425

Жыл бұрын

Hi I'm no expert but I'd say have on it's coming. Apparently they self pollinate. I understand that they just need more sun and heat to fruit. 😊👍🏽

@shereex5914

Жыл бұрын

@@nataliemcaskill3425 Thank you!

Do you pronounce your name like “Hugh” ? Love your channel ❤

@HuwRichards

Жыл бұрын

Last comment incorrect. Hugh indeed. Welsh pronunciation is different and my preferred but is butchered by most people who don't speak the language haha

what a vegetable are those very large leaves behind you per minute 13:35?

@marymcandrew7667

11 ай бұрын

I know, they're enormous!

❤

is nettle a cover crop?

@marymcandrew7667

11 ай бұрын

That's a great question! I wonder if it would work because they regrow if you leave the roots.

I need tldw for your videos 😅 (Currently no time for nothing)

❤️🙏😊

💚👍🏻🌱😊

It's like food gardners ate 4 years behind the canibis seen if your wanting to learn more search living soil. People will teach u every thing u need to know about soil and plant health with out every video becoming a advertisement

👩🏽‍🌾❤️🌞🌹

Hey Huw there’s a lady called Ariel who lives in a tiny house above 6,000 ft in the mountains of Wyoming. She’s given you a shout out and a link on her latest You Tube video: kzread.info/dash/bejne/pXuEsqmaqMzXZ7A.html This video fits right in with what she’s talking about at around 14 mins in and your previous talks on soil health must be why she recommended you. Might be nice for you swing by and say hello to her.

Please name these mysterious ‘cover crops’. I only heard the name of one cover crop mentioned in the whole video - buckwheat.

@HuwRichards

Жыл бұрын

If you watch again I mentioned at least: phacelia 15:25 for example, buckwheat, field beans, mustard, radish, and peas.

"Behold, a sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; and the birds came and devoured them. Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; and they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth. But when the sun was up they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away. And some fell among thorns, and thorns sprang up and choked them. But others fell on good ground and yielded a crop: some a hundred-fold, some sixty, some thirty. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!" (Matthew 13:3-9) Jesus Christ was crucified and shed His holy blood for the forgiveness of sins. Please repent of your sins and from living your own way and turn to God. Trust and believe in the LORD Jesus Christ and carefully do and observe all the things He taught in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. It is my hope that you would know the love, joy and peace of God that He so lovingly bestows on those who are born-again and keep His commandments, and you would have the blessing of a wonderful personal relationship with Him that I have and so many others have had the privilege of experiencing.

Huw, this is the first UN-successful video of yours that I've seen. You may believe that we short-attention-span viewers need to have a constant stream of words and either moving pictures or constantly-flipping stills in order not to drift off. Well, maybe. But if your aim is education and not just idle impressionist entertainment (after which people take away warm fuzzy feelings and NO detail) this topic needs a different approach. You indicate this yourself in what you say at 16:55. Where a set of different cover crops with different properties need to be analysed for fit to different gardening/bed needs, your linear approach is less effective than a (spreadsheet-like) table that you talk to, which is held on-screen throughout the contrast/comparison discussion and which can be referred back to later. The time spent plugging the sponsor clearly shows that you think about presentation support and technique: can you please consider this suggestion for similar circumstances in the future?

@HuwRichards

Жыл бұрын

Hello. I've recieved lots of lovely feedback for this video (look at there comments yourself). I understand the need of the table but this as I stated in the video is purely an introduction to a very interesting topic that needs numerous videos to cover. What cover crops for raised beds would be it's own video infect, and I really like that idea so thank you. With the sponsorship by the way I can continue developing our brand new experimental site which means more free content for you down the line. Thanks:)

@falfield

Жыл бұрын

@@HuwRichards Ah yes - the brand. Thanks for troubling to reply. My constructive criticism does nothing to diminish or efface the lovely feedback you've had, just as in turn, it does not outbalance or invalidate my own comment. I'm simply pointing out, from an educationalist's perspective (and am now repeating it with rewording, lest this not have been understood) that a linear ramble through a number of different cover crops, each with different characteristics and suitabilities is good entertainment but poor for learning and making comparisons from. Instead it cries out for a matrix/comparison table approach.

@kimbrown1701

Жыл бұрын

If you know everything, go somewhere else.

@falfield

Жыл бұрын

@@kimbrown1701 Dear me Kim, can you not distinguish between content and presentation method? Can you not see that one can criticise the latter while applauding the former? Had I not valued the content, would I have spent time explaining the obstacle put in my way of absorbing it, relating it to my circumstances, and referring back to it? Or would I have bothered to make a practical proposal for improvement?

❤