"The use of warm-weather annuals is an excellent management tool for controlling weeds and providing a source of cover and food for beneficial insects. Warm weather legumes such as soybeans also provide a nitrogen fixing source.

CULTURE: Spring and summer cover crops are planted after the danger of hard frost has passed. They are useful for erosion control, weed suppression, and nitrogen fixation. They can also be used as a rotation crop after vegetables, herbs, and flowers or for planting between vegetables such as tomatoes or brassicas, fruit trees, vine crops, and berries. To prevent regrowth, it's important that you till these cover crops in before they go to seed.
One of the easiest and most economical ways to improve your soil is to plant a green manure crop, also called a cover crop. Most home garden soils can be maintained at their highest level of productivity by sound soil management practices that involve a combination of crop rotation, and most importantly, adding organic matter by planting and tilling in green manures. Organic matter is the ‘’food’’ component of soil. Soil-dwelling fungi and bacteria work to break down organic matter. When these soil microorganisms eat organic matter, nutrients are released back into the soil in a form that is usable by plants. This process is called nutrient cycling. Nutrient cycling affects both the physical and chemical properties of the soil. Adding organic matter builds soil structure, which increases water absorption, increases nutrient-holding capacity, buffers the soil pH, and improves aeration, all leading to a healthier soil environment. Cover crops choke out weeds by restricting sunlight to the soil, reduce erosion by stabilizing the soil surface, and through their deep root action, they help break up hardpan and bring minerals to the surface for other plants to use. As part of a long-term rotation plan, cover crops can provide a lasting habitat within your garden for beneficial insects and microorganisms.Green manures can be grown in the same year as your vegetable crops by sowing them around garden plants. They can also be grown as a perennial crop in orchards and vineyards. In mild climates, cover crops can be fall planted and tilled in the following spring just before planting. In harsher climates, cover crops can be grown in rows between crops or as a component of rotation in your garden. Green manure crops are a superior source of organic matter when they are cut and turned under before they complete their life cycle (while they're still green, hence the term green manure). In addition to this benefit, legume green manures (alfalfa, clover, vetch, peas, and beans) act as a host for the bacteria that fix or make nitrogen available to your vegetable or fruit plants."

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