Cover Crop Selection for Soil Health: Getting the Basic Facts

Dealing with the right cover crop selection for soil health is crucial – not only for agriculture in general, but also for home gardening. Not many people understand the importance of cover crops. It’s a good thing that more farmers and gardeners are starting to realize the matter. And it’s quite unfortunate that there are many options that can improve the overall health of the soil.

Understanding the Concept of Cover Crop

Cover crop refers to plants being planted for the sake of covering the soil instead of for harvesting. In technical terms, cover crops are plants that are primarily grown to help (and to benefit) other crops growth in the future.

Naturally, cover crops have their own benefits and advantages, such as helping with soil erosion, crowding the weeds out, improving soil health, increasing biodiversity, and controlling diseases and pests. Increased profitability and a sound soil condition is another benefit delivered by this practice.

Managing the Practice

Before you should dwell more about crop selection for soil health, you should know when to do it. Technically (and theoretically), you can plant the cover crops anytime within a year. However, farmers don’t plant the cover crops after they have harvested the main crops. Harvesting usually takes place in the fall. Farmers then plant the cover crop until spring time. This is the time when they will plant the next (main) crops.

Cover Crop and Soil Health

There are basically 4 main approaches or principles to not only improve, but also maintain soil health.

You need to keep the soil being covered (if possible, as much as you can).
You shouldn’t disturb the soil. Make sure there is as little disturbance as possible.
Make sure to diversify the (crop) rotations
In order to keep the soil healthy, you need to feed it. The only way to do so is to keep the plants growing all year round.

The Benefits

Cover crops can feed many different soil organisms types, including the beneficial bacteria and fungi
They can increase earthworm numbers. Not only the practice can increase the numbers, but also the types
They can build soil organic matter and soil carbon
They contribute to soil nutrients’ better management
They help covering the soil, cutting off the possibility of erosion, overheating, or (impermeable) crust formation

fava bean

Cover Crop Selections

Keep in mind that when it comes to crop selection for soil health, we are talking about plants that can help with the health of the soil. It’s not for harvest. So, what kind of crop options can you choose?

Legumes, such as sunhemp, fava beans, crimson clover, Austrian Winter Peas, alfalfa, or cowpeas are great for nutrient fixing and scavenging. It’s also great for grazing. It won’t only attract the good insects, but it also helps with weed control and erosion reduction. It’s best planted during winter time although some can be planted in summer months (provided that the areas have colder climates).
Broadleaf non-legumes, like flax, marigold, kale, spinach, and Brassicas. It’s good to absorb any excess nitrogen as well as adding extra organic matter for the soil. Not only is it good for weed control, but it can help with soil erosion. It’s best planted during spring and fall.
Brassicas, such as forage radish, oilseed radish, and daikon. The plants can increase soil biomass as well as reduce soil erosion. They can help with many control functions, including weed control, pest control, fungus control, and disease control.
Cereals and grasses, like wheat, barley, triticale, sorghum sudangrass, oat, buckwheat, and annual ryegrass. It’s great for many control functions as well as reducing nutrient loss and soil erosion. It is also great for nitrogen scavenging and to reduce soil compaction.

Conclusion

Cover crops may seem like a complex matter, but it can be made easier and simpler with the proper arrangement. As long as you know the details of crop selection for soil health, you should be able to get it all together.