Toasty ‘Tember

The first day of fall is 11 days away, but it certainly hasn’t felt like it lately. We got some good rain last weekend, however there isn’t any in the upcoming forecast. So, what even is there to do? Well, these in-between times provide us with a little slow down to reflect on our gardens. Many gardeners are done after Tomato Fest, but there’s still plenty fun to get into. We covered cold season crops and how to prevent their bolting, but what about those of us who aren’t planning on putting out the brassicas just yet?

We’ve got you covered — pun intended. Cover crops are plants that can grow in a shorter timeframe & also give a benefit to surrounding plants and soil. This time of year provides challenges with looming frost & cooler overnight temps. Botanical Interests carries several packets of cover crop seed, and the four we feature are Crimson Clover, Hairy Vetch, Buckwheat, and a combo of Peas and Oats. It might seem counterintuitive to plant seeds right now, but these little guys have a bigger purpose.

Hairy Vetch, which you may have seen in your beds already with pretty purple flowers, is a superb nitrogen fixer that helps keep unwanted weeds at bay with its fast growth. Crimson Clover, with its beautiful blooms, grows well in cooler temperatures. It also does a great job of fixing nitrogen in the soil, and its blooms nourish not only bees but humans too as an herbal tea. Buckwheat is maybe the oldest and best known, prized for its ability to make phosphorus available to your next crop. Lastly, our only biculture on the board, Peas and Oats. These two work in tandem to make nitrogen available and leave you with a nutritious mulch to work into your soil come Spring. For those of you who have difficulty rotating your crops due to limited sunshine, this is an excellent way to replenish the soil and feed the organisms within throughout winter. If you want to learn more, the University of Tennessee has some excellent resources.

That’s it for this week! We want to thank all of you who came out during our Summer of Sales to see us and get some new additions to your garden. If you haven’t had your fill yet, please give us a follow on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube. Tune in on Saturdays at 8 am for Gardening Inside Out, or catch the podcast in your downtime.

Happy Gardening,

Sara Bates