{"id":13633,"date":"2025-03-21T01:37:32","date_gmt":"2025-03-21T01:37:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lovenfreshflowers.com\/?p=13633"},"modified":"2025-03-21T01:49:10","modified_gmt":"2025-03-21T01:49:10","slug":"cover-crops-for-flower-farming-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lovenfreshflowers.com\/cover-crops-for-flower-farming-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Cover Crops for Flower Farming"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Rule #1: Keep the Soil Covered at ALL Times<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rarely in the diverse world of agriculture is there one golden rule and one silver bullet for every single farm.  But when it comes to soil health and long-term farm sustainability, there is: never leave the ground bare and exposed.  Without something covering it, soil is at risk of erosion and the vast cosmos of life that inhabit the soil experience high mortality from exposure and lack of food.   Fertility takes a huge hit when ground is left bare, particularly with continuous mechanical tillage. American and Canadian farmers learned this lesson the hard way back in the 1930s when the Dust Bowl<\/a> devastated the Midwestern plains and brought North American agriculture to its knees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2014, scientists working with the United Nations<\/a> estimated that if the world population continued to increase at the same rate while soil degradation also continued unchecked (the biggest culprits being large-scale conventional agriculture and deforestation), we only had 60 harvests left on this planet.   While the exact science behind that calculation has been frequently debated since, the statement was nonetheless a stark wake-up call that has spurred a greater awareness that soil conservation \u2013 particularly in farming \u2013 is critical.   Even small farms have a big role to play in making sure our topsoils don\u2019t blow away and as much carbon as possible is being sunk back into the earth instead of going into our atmosphere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The best way to put armor on your soil and boost a farm\u2019s long-term fertility through carbon sequestering is to keep living roots in the soil at all times<\/strong>.  The roots of plants help hold the soil in place when harsh wind and rain come knocking while also feeding myriad lifeforms in the soil with their exudates.  In turn, the living community in the soil \u2013 consisting of microbes and macro beings like earthworms and beetles \u2013 eat and poop and decay, all of which feeds the plants in return.  When there are no living roots in the soil, this generous cycle of give-and-take is broken.  In surprisingly short order, soil degrades, aggregates break down, compaction builds up, run off increases, and ultimately fertility plummets.  Oh, and a lot of carbon goes \u201cpoof\u201d up into the atmosphere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As farmers, we cannot always manage to keep a productive cash crop going in every bit of the earth we steward.  The colder months are particularly challenging.  This is where cover crops come into the equation of soil health and fertility.  Cold-hardy species like rye, triticale and barley will provide a living blanket for the soil through the winter.  In the warmer months, a farmer may choose to let a piece of the field rest for a little while.  In this instance, buckwheat, cow peas, and sorghum can be excellent green manures that feed soil life with root exudates during growth and then biomass for a longer-term deposit in the organic matter bank when they get mowed down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Cover<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Quick vocabulary breakdown:
<\/strong>* Cash crop<\/em> \u2013 a crop the farm is growing with the intention of selling the harvest.
* Cover crop<\/em> \u2013 a crop the farm is growing to cover and protect the soil in the off-season.
* Green manure<\/em> \u2013 a crop the farm is choosing to grow instead of a cash crop, typically to increase fertility or address a situational challenge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are several considerations a farmer typically takes into account when choosing what exactly to grow in terms of cover crops or green manures.  It can be daunting to sort this all out on your own.  Much has been written on cover cropping for large farms with big equipment and forage needs.  But few, if any, guides on cover crops for flower farming exist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When I am choosing cover crops for flower farming here at my small-scale flower farm, I focus on the following three considerations:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

1) Window for Sowing\/Growing
2) Termination Method
3) What Does the Soil Need<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Cover<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Window of Sowing\/Growing<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cover crops and green manures are always direct seeded.  As such, the soil\u2019s temperature at the time you plan on sowing the seed is critical to successful germination.  Some types of crops do well germinating in cooler soils.  Some seeds would simply rot away in the same conditions.  This handy chart<\/a> can help you quickly narrow down what is a \u201ccool season\u201d and what is a \u201cwarm season\u201d crop.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Additionally, how long do you have before you want something else to grow in that same spot?  Cover crops growing over the winter are easy to schedule.  But if you\u2019re plugging in green manures to your summer planting schedule, you will need to carefully consider how long a given crop needs to do its thing.  For this reason, buckwheat is a big favorite around Love \u2018n Fresh Flowers; it loves our hot humid summers and it reaches its peak biomass in just 30-40 days!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Terminating<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Termination Method<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Coupled with when to sow and how long it takes to grow is determining how the cover crop or green manure will be \u201cterminated\u201d.  Essentially, how are you going to kill this stuff so you can go back to growing a cash crop?  If you\u2019ve got a tractor and a flail mower, you can handle just about any cover crop.  But many flower farms are smaller, with a bed layout that is not conducive to bringing a tractor into the middle of the field at the height of summer.  In this case, you\u2019ll want to use tarps and\/or a smaller piece of equipment like a push mower or string trimmer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The following steps are used at Love \u2018n Fresh Flowers to terminate a cover crop or green manure:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1) Tall, dense crops like winter rye are first knocked down with a string trimmer.  If the crop is not very tall or dense, then we skip this step.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2) Tender crops like buckwheat and the tougher crops that were already trimmed down get mowed super low with a mulching push mower.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3) Depending on the size of the space\/bed, landscape fabric or tarps are placed over the area that was cover cropped and left in place for about 10-15 days, depending on the weather and our planting schedule. This excludes light and weakens the cover crop.  You could leave the tarps in place longer if desired.  I choose to take it off as soon as feasible so we can get the bed replanted with new living roots to keep feeding the soil community and to keep the farm as profitable as possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4) Prep the bed for planting.  See how here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Choosing<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What Does the Soil Need<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The third major consideration when choosing cover crops for flower farming is what exactly are you trying to accomplish.  What does your soil need?  If you have sandy soil and struggle with getting your organic matter (OM) percentage up, you\u2019ll want to choose a crop that is known for its biomass.  If you have compacted clay soil and struggle with drainage, you\u2019ll want to choose a crop that is known for having a large and fibrous root system.  If you want to capture nitrogen naturally, you\u2019ll choose a legume crop that can form nitrogen-gathering nodules on its roots.  If you want to combat a fungal disease or pest build up, you\u2019ll want to choose a crop known for disease suppression<\/a> or beneficial insect habitat.  Each farm\u2019s needs will be unique so this part will require a little research on your behalf.  SARE<\/a> and many agriculture seed retailers provide excellent reference materials for which cover crop solves which problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Building<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

My Favorite Cover Crops for Flower Farming<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

At my farm, I have settled on the following favorite cover crops for flowers farming.  Use this list as a jumping off point to get started.  But I encourage you to explore the great diversity that is out there in the world of cover crops\/green manures to dial in your own mixes for optimum soil health and farm fertility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some quick data on my farm:  Zone 7, clay-loam, OM generally above 10%<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cool Season Cover Crops<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Winter Rye: excellent for loosening clay soils, encouraging mycorrhizae, great biomass<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Barley: great biomass, super cold hardy, you can cut it for bouquets<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Triticale: soil life loves this stuff,  excellent root system, very cold hardy<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vetch: fixes nitrogen, good biomass, good companion for the three above<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tillage\/Daikon Radish: bust up compacted soil, improved drainage, quick to grow<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Phacelia:  good biomass, weed suppression in spring, attractive to beneficial insects, you can cut it for bouquets<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Bell Beans: fixes nitrogen, good biomass, nice in a mix of some of the above, germinates well in cold soil<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mustard: fight soil-borne diseases, let flower in the spring to cut it for bouquet<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Choosing<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Warm Season Green Manures\/Cover Crops<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Buckwheat: so fast to grow, great for beneficial insects, breaks down really quickly for more rapid bed flip<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cow Peas:  good biomass, good weed suppression, fixes nitrogen, loosens clay soils<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dwarf Sorghum: phenomenal biomass, excellent weed suppression, you can cut it for bouquets<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Did you notice there are four in the list above of cover crops for flower farming that can do double duty as a cut as well?  Great if your farm is small!<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sources for Cover Crop Seeds<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I have used three suppliers for cover crop seed at my farm so far.  Deer Creek Seed<\/a>, Kings AgriSeeds<\/a>, and Peaceful Valley<\/a>.  There are many seed suppliers out there.  I would encourage you to shop around for the best pricing by the pound but also carefully consider shipping rates.  Purchasing closer to home \u2013 especially if you can pick it up \u2013 will help cut down on costs considerably.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hopefully this article leaves you feeling empowered to tackle building soil health and fertility using cover crops for flower farming.  Nothing is quite so rewarding as to look out over a swath of green and lush cover crop, knowing it is doing so much good for your farm!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Rule #1: Keep the Soil Covered at ALL Times Rarely in the diverse world of agriculture is there one golden rule and one silver bullet for every single farm.  But when it comes to soil health and long-term farm sustainability, there is: never leave the ground bare and exposed.  Without something covering it, soil is 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