Trying something new (to me)

[hoodat]

I've been planting red clover in bare patches both as food for the bees and as green manure when I turn it under. The other day I decided to plant in one of the spots I had seeded to clover and see if I could grow Fall greens in the same place. I'm hoping the greens can compete with the red clover and still produce.

This is the overall patch. At the bottom is a row of baby pak choy just coming up. In the center is a row of red mustard and at the top some Chinese brocoli.

Red mustard greens

Chines brocoli

 

[digitS']

You know, Hoodie, it isn't uncommon to plant a "nurse crop" with perennial legume alfalfa. That might be the case where red clover is more commonly grown - don't know.

Alfalfa takes so long to grow that oats are often planted with it, then cut and harvested for hay. The 2nd year, the alfalfa comes on by itself.

It may make sense to think of annual brassicas as a nurse crop with your "cover crop."

Steve

 

[hoodat]

Red clover doesn't get too dense or too tall so I thought it would be worth a try. All it can cost me is a few seeds. I've dome this with Dutch white and it worked OK but Dutch white doesn't give you much humus when you turn it in. It's too short. It's more of a lawn plant.

 

[vfem]

My neighbor planted it last year, and it was very 'spotty' in his garden. It wasn't as dense as we'd thought it would be. I don't know how much help that is?

 

[hoodat]

He and I probably both planted it the wrong time of year. It's still pretty hot. It does much better with a Spring planting.