high tech cover crop,,,,,lol

Did the garden patches ,plowed ,then harrowed,broadcasted some wheat seed by hand out of a bucket,and lightly harrowed it in,i did it 2 weeks ago in PA ,But just posting it now
I usually plant rye,but the neighbor farmer gave me a bag of wheat,he said it will be good as a cover crop.

Nice looking Ford and nice straight rows. I have a 2000 D 4 cyl and 3000D for my utility tractors. Really like them. Is your soil sandy loam? How deep is your moldboard cutting?

Question on cover crop. Hear a lot about the subject but assume you are on a hill side and besides "contour plowing" to preserve the top soil against rain I guess you use a cover crop through the winter to protect against wind. Why a cover crop?

I usually have a volunteer of weeds which do little in the winter as they are warm season nuisances. I hit them with the disc or chisel harrow in the spring when they start growing and again right before I plant the season's crop.

One of my thoughts on deliberately planting one is the consumption of available soil nutrients. I do know that fertilizer that I have incorporated into the soil will stay there (pretty much...N somewhat iffy) from one year to the next if I don't use it. Cuts down on the next years requirements. Seems a cover crop of wheat or rye will consume nutrients and are essentially a wast of money.

However, sometimes, down here we deliberately plant fall wheat for winter grazing and I don't call that a waste. Besides controlled grazing causes the wheat yield the following year to be improved due to the snipping of the leaves and resultant regrowth.

Enjoy your pictures. Seems more folks are including them and makes for better reading and visiting.

Mark

hello,,just caught your reply before leaving this am. My ford is a 3 cyd gas,6 speed,Post some pictures of your fords,,,sure would like to see them. I ll try to answer youe question on why cover crop,but I hope many more read this and reply too, A cover crop is good when you plow it under in the spring it adds what they sometimes call green manure to the soil ,giving many benifits to your growing plot,also helps stop errosion during the winter,There are many other benifits,I hope others on the site here add some info for you. In answer to the soil type in our area,it is known as a limestone shale,howerever,the patch down by the pines is a low area,and has some clay in it,I plant another strip of garden over by the neighbors that is much better soil,here is a picture of that earlier this spring
The first shot of cold weather has hit us here ,and already I miss planting and working the garden,I dont care much for winter!

Thanks. I don't have any pics but will keep it in mind. That roto tiller really makes a nice seed bed as you well know.

I have a problem down here with a garden besides all the kids are gone who used to do the grunt work....as you all know. Last frost here is usually Easter. How the weather knows it's Easter beats me but it does.

With 60 days to harvest tomatoes in particular, by the time you get one picking summer has hit and it's hot and dry. Mulching and a cover canopy are little help. Mellons and cucumbers survive somewhat, but everything else but okra just quits. Lot of time and money for such meager returns.

Mark

I think the nutrients that a cover crop consumes are returned to the soil when the cover crop is terminated. But that is just MY opinion.

I have read that tillage radish will even scavenge left-over nitrogen in the fall and return it when they decay in the spring.

the gang that helped me when i got layed up planted rye the plowed ground is up and the disked ground is not. thats about nov 4 on bean ground. i wanted it planted because the renter plowed out a water way that drains at least 300 acres through it i have seen water go through over 2 ft deep. also extra feed for steers . so thanks and god bless to mark and the gang at pecatonica antique club

Thanks Larry, like seed catalogues your pictures put us in a mind of better weather ahead.