Susannah

They have different cover crops in this site, look for the ones for summer and also do some reading about how would you like them? short, tall, flowers, etc. Good prices too.

Silvia

Here is a link that might be useful: cover crops

thanks Silvia. Great site. Much better info than I've found elsewhere.

They have cowpeas as a cover crop. But it says it requires cowpea inoculant, which is a bit more work than I was planning on for a cover crop.
Maybe I'll just try my limas out there. If that doesn't work (less sun in the summer, meaning they might be too wet during the day) then maybe I'll try the buckwheat. It appears to choke out weeds, and improve the soil. Though it doesn't nitrogen fix, which kind of interests me.
Susannah

Susannah- About 10 years ago or maybe more? somebody did a study growing a cover crop, they used hairy vetch and I think clover and they planted right on top tomatoes, they said they had the best production ever.

I like the red clover but I think it need a cooler weather. About the bean and pea inoculant I have never use it and had no problem germinating seeds, this probably apply to gardeners from colder climates that need extra boost for their seeds.

Fava beans are great nitrogen fixers but they need a very cold weather like we had this past winter and I like the taste, they are some of my favorite beans.

Hope that you find something good to improve your soil.

Silvia

I'm not sure but I do not think buckwheat will work as a warm season cover crop in Florida, especially zone 10.

I've grown sun hemp as a summer cover crop with good results. I've also grown hyacinth beans (lab lab) and limas and yard long beans.

The good thing about sunn hemp is that it attracts almost no pests, while the beans attracted stink bugs and aphids.

The site Silvia gives a link to is the only place I've found that sells sunn hemp.

It's rarely necessary to use an inoculant here in FL on legumes. It's already present in most soils.

In my experience, even sunn hemp, one of the highest rated cover crops for FL, does not improve soil so much as prevent it from turning back to sand quite so quickly. But then I garden on very poor sand.

Most of the informmation out there is about using cover crops up north. Here in Florida it's different. I believe ECHO has some good articles on using cover crops in Florida and places like it.

Bill

Interesting Bill. This is a mulched bed. It goes to grass and weeds over the summer, so it doesn't have an erosion problem. And we're lucky here with pretty decent soil - in Florida terms, it's not pure sand, just really "well-drained."
I'd love to find something that would improve the soil, either underground while it's growing, or when I cut it down and prep the bed in mid-summer (I just mulch right over the weeds after mowing them down, with a heavy layer of compost and newspapers under the mulch. By the time I plant a couple months later, the previous year's mulch and the weeds have worked with the compost and it's all broken down pretty nicely.)
I'm sure there are better and more scientific approaches, but I've already improved the soil in this bed a good bit just mixing in the weeds, compost and old mulch for a few years.
Interesting that you've grown hyacinth bean in the summer. I love hyacinth bean and have some extras. Do you stake it and grow it as a food crop, or just let it roam? I grow it in the winter for the beans and also to attract pollinators (I grow it in the way back of the veggie bed.) Didn't realize they would make it through our summers. That might be my solution.
And thanks to you and Silvia for the info on innoculators. That was the first time I had run into that term - so I was mystified.

How about Pigeon peas they should do well in your area and there are some annuals that they use for cover crops They are the peas used in rice and peas that you see in many caribbean meals. this summer I am growing sweet potatoes may not improve the soil but I hear they grow like weeds.

Here is a link that might be useful: pigeon peas

pigeon peas are another good thought. Sounds like my veggie garden is going to legumes this summer. I'll report back on my results!

I found this old thread and thought I'd start it up again since I'm looking into converting some of my rose garden to veggies. After some brief searching I'm looking at Sun Hemp as a nitrogen-fixing, nematocidal cover crop that I will turn over into the garden in 60 days for the veggies to come. I can only find two sources. One sells 50 lb bags - which I obviously don't need, and one sells a pound of raw seed for $5.99. Sounds like what I need, but it requires cowpea inoculant which I have no clue about. Bill mentioned above that the inoculant is not necessary in Florida, so I was wondering if anyone has experience with this plant and if I should go ahead and use it without the inoculant. My garden is organic and very well amended with composted horse manure, alfalfa and milorganite for over 3 years - nice black dirt.

Also, I'm totally ignorant about veggies and will have to learn quick. Fortunately, I have a good friend who's almost a pro, but what veggies would you grow in the fall and spring? What do you think about potatoes and carrots? Does anyone know how long they can be stored? Grocery store potatoes don't last long at all!

Probably like some of you I'm quite concerned with the economy and looking to be more self-sufficient with bartering possibilities. Better late than never. I was thinking about planting this cover crop this summer, hoping it's not too late.

Thanks, everyone.

Sherry

Here is a link that might be useful: If only sweat were irrigation...

Sherry, I'm a tightwad. I bought a package of organic green peanuts. You can also buy generic black eye peas,soak overnite and plant. Don,t worry about the innouclant.

Welcome to the feed me side!

Dianne