Cover crop of crimson clover and forage radish
Photo courtesy of Debbie Roos, Growing Small Farms
With horticulture production slowing down as the end of the year approaches, there are still things that can be done to prepare for the spring season.
Most gardens and producers are slowing down on what can be harvested as the few things that are left in the fields are brassicas (cabbage, collards, broccoli, etc.) and sweet potatoes, leaving little that can be planted and survive the winter months. This lull can be used to complete many chores that you may not have time for during the active growing season such as irrigation repair and preparation, planning crops and crop rotations, soil sampling and lime applications, and the potential for winter cover crops. While these things may not be as exciting as growing your favorite tomato or flower, they are still essential for soil health and growing success.
Over the course of the growing season, it seems there is almost a constant case of leaky irrigation. Once things slow down it is important to identify any fittings that are leaking and get replacements for next year. One way to make fittings last longer is to take them apart and store them for the winter.
When temperatures get below freezing, any leftover water or condensation inside the threads will freeze and expand. This causes the threads to not mesh together as well and, in some cases, water left in the lines that freezes can cause tears in the hoses themselves. Storage is extremely important in the case of any timers that are being used, these break easily when temperatures get below freezing and, in some cases, they can be costly to replace.
Crop planning and rotation is vital to lessen and prevent insect and disease pressures for all crops. Many pest problems can be made easier to deal with by using a good rotation plan where you plant one family of crops and then change to other families for a few successive years. An example of this would be planting broccoli (brassica) the first year, tomatoes (solanaceous) the second, green beans (legume) the third, and then squash (cucurbit) on the fourth year.
Typically, four years is a good schedule to keep before returning to the first plant family you started with. It is important to double check that some crops do not fall in the same family because there are some relations that may seem unlikely such as in the solanaceous family which contains tomatoes, potatoes, and eggplants. If you have multiple fields or garden plots another option is planting a cover crop. Cover crops allow time for disease and insect pressures to lessen as well as adding organic matter to the soil.
Cover crops can also be planted in the winter months and can serve many purposes. Legumes such as crimson clover or red clover can add nitrogen to the soil which can be used by the following spring crops. Small grains have a slightly different purpose which is producing more biomass and acting as nutrient scavengers. Nutrient scavengers collect the excess nutrients that would otherwise be lost through leaching, hold onto them until the next crop. These types of plants are used in conservation efforts to help reduce nutrient runoff and keep from wasting excess nutrients in the soil. They help combat erosion and can shade out winter weeds to control future weed populations. Since a cover crop is not meant to be grown to harvest, it is a
good idea to combine species to get the best of both worlds, such as a legume with a small grain cover crop.
There is still time to get in soil samples before the lab gets busy with numerous farm samples which begins later in early December. The turnaround time for sample submitted get much slower in a few months. By sampling this time of year, any lime recommendations in the report allows time for lime to be added to the soil and the soil pH raised to your target level. Collecting a sample now lets you to determine what fertilizers will be needed for next year and plenty of time to obtain them.
When receiving nutrient recommendations from soil reports it is important to remember that you should wait to apply them until early spring just prior to plant growth re-starting. Plants will not take up many soil nutrients when they are dormant and if you apply fertilizer to an area with no plants growing, they will simply wash out of the soil. Be aware that after November 27 there is a $4 fee per sample box in addition with slowing processing times.
Each growing season can provide its own problems, but a little planning can go a long way to help prevent or limit the issues you may experience. If you have any questions about irrigation, cover crops, crop rotation, or soil sampling please reach out to Seth Ballance at the Richmond County Extension Office at 123 Caroline St. Rockingham, or call at (910) 997-8255.