…… What to plant for to let your garden go fallow???

[packyderms_wife]

I need ideas on things to plant in my raised beds this year since I'm going to allow them to go fallow! Having knee replacement surgery in June so signed up for a weekly CSA veggie box.

I have seven raised beds two of which I will plant herbs in, they are smaller, and one I will plant purple cabbages. The other three I want to go fallow, since they haven't had an off year in a long time. If there are flowers that'll help build the soil let me know.

 

[etdeb]

Clover or peas the turn under

 

[pauldingbabe]

Buckwheat every 6 weeks.

 

[herbgarden]

I do buckwheat every 6 to 8 weeks. Turn over and replant

 

[packyderms_wife]

I do buckwheat every 6 to 8 weeks. Turn over and replant

where do you get the buckwheat?

 

[pauldingbabe]

where do you get the buckwheat?

Any farm store should have it.

 

[Samuel Adams]

where do you get the buckwheat?

View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=cknMVULKeAM

 

[packyderms_wife]

Okay I called my "local" local farm store, not the big box store, and they have buckwheat for $1.69 a pound. So will be picking up some on Saturday. Now to decide how much I need, my raised beds, the two larger ones are 3 x 9 feet and the bigger one is 4 x 12 feet plus I have two 3x3 foot boxes and three water tanks, the horse variety.

Suggestions on amounts to buy would be greatly appreciated since they only have buckwheat in stock in the Spring here, she said she has about 40 pounds on hand.

 

[Meemur]

Packy, I make sure to plant some red clover -- I have to fight the wild rabbits for it. I dry the flowers and make tea from them. It's my diuretic of choice. Your millage will vary! As said above, clover is good for the soil.

The farm store should have red clover, as well.

 

[packyderms_wife]

Packy, I make sure to plant some red clover -- I have to fight the wild rabbits for it. I dry the flowers and make tea from them. It's my diuretic of choice. Your millage will vary! As said above, clover is good for the soil.

The farm store should have red clover, as well.

Thanks, I may get some of both, I also need to get one of those soil checking kits from Lowes or Menards.

 

[Babs]

Unless you're needing some green manure in your garden,
you could just plant some veggies and let it go wild. It would cover the ground, and you could harvest whatever makes it through the summer.

The plants that make it through summer would be quite robust and you might even want to save the some seeds from those, since they tolerate your climate with no intervention.

 

[Slydersan]

You could also look for a "cover crop" mix from a place like True Leaf Market. Seems to fit the bill for what you are looking for. Lots of good plants to renew/fortify the soil and keep the weeds down.

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www.trueleafmarket.com

 

[WalknTrot]

Personally, I'd just spread a good layer of manure to rot down, and cover it with black plastic. Let the heat and dark kill off the weed seeds and enrich the soil, ready for next year.

 

[packyderms_wife]

Personally, I'd just spread a good layer of manure to rot down, and cover it with black plastic. Let the heat and dark kill off the weed seeds and enrich the soil, ready for next year.

I might do this as well, after a round of buckwheat.