Just finishing up our new raised garden. Had to make it enclosed for the deer..ended up taking a little bit longer than expected (as all projects do).
Question is – due to timing it finished up a little too late to start some direct sow stuff. Other than planting some lettuce, kale, broccoli & cabbage that I started indoors I’ll probably be planting mostly tomatoes and peppers later on and then some fall stuff.
Should I do a cover crop until I’m ready to plant those later veggies, or just let it be?
by KAYRx10
9 Comments
I can’t help with your question but WOW great job!! That project turned out amazing!!
Id mulch and wait, personally. Do you have any flowers planted? Always good to add some to your veggie patch for balance (and fun)
A good rule for no till beds is to have roots in the soil whenever possible. Roots encourage biology that you want, so no point in waiting, you can plant peppers and tomatoes directly into a cover, just mash it over a bit if needed.
You can definitely plant peas now it’s definitely not too late. You can also plant potatoes, carrots and radishes now as well.
Start your tomato and peppers now for planting mid May
That garden looks awesome! I wish I had room for something like that. Nice work.
I’m a cover crap fan! I use crimson clover as my cover crop of choice. Grows pretty low, pollinators like it, and when it starts blooming red you can weedwhack it back as green mulch. I sow it after direct sow starts popping up so it doesn’t outgrow my direct sown things. I can plant starters directly into it, pull it out of the way. Green things growing means soil is covered and cool, weeds are down, and nitrogen is being fixed for future soil health. It will grow fast this time of year.
If you are planting starts and waiting on slightly better weather, I would try cover crop.
I have no idea about the cover crop, but just wanted to say your garden bed looks incredible. Great job
this is really nice. you should build a square in the middle too as its just dead space currently.
Honestly probably not worth it for a short wait, cover crops work best when you have a few months. Since you’re in CT, if you’re waiting until late May to plant tomatoes/peppers, you’ve got maybe 6-8 weeks. By the time cover crop establishes and you turn it in, it’s not really adding much value for that timeframe.
Instead, just throw some compost on top and let it sit. A good 2-3 inches of compost does wonders for new raised bed soil.