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Re: preparing for next year



>I have heard of planting a winter crop of Rye, and then
>turning this over in the spring.  What is the purpose of this, and is it
>truly a good idea.

The purpose is to build better soil. These are called cover crops and are
often referred to as green manure.  They help reduce soil compaction and
prevent erosion. The roots even help loosen heavy soil.

So Yes, they are a good idea.

A better choice than rye would be a legume such as peas, since they fix
nitrogen that gets passed into the soil when you turn the crop under in the
spring.

Best choice is a combination of peas and rye.

Plant as soon as you can so they get going before it gets too cold/wet, use
a balanced fertilizer and lime as needed.

Mike in Oregon
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