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if you could let your garden go fallow for a year...

10 years ago

I'm pregnant with my first child, and I suspect I won't have a lot of garden time next summer. I live in zone 5 and my garden is about 20 x 15 feet. Can you suggest a cover crop that would last most of the summer, be good for the soil and keep the weeds from taking over?

Maybe I'll put a tomato plant in or some herbs -- something low-key -- but I'd hate to look out on my garden and see it turning into a mess of weeds. I figure I might as well do something good for the soil in the process. Any ideas?

Thanks!

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Comments (4)

lisanti07028
10 years ago
Put down a thick layer of wood chips (hardwood, not pine bark) and let them decompose for a couple of years - when you're ready to garden again, the soil will have been fed by the decomposing chips and ready to grow whatever you want, and the weeds will have been kept to a minimum.

Don't be surprised if it's a little longer than a year until you are completely back into gardening - I think my girl was close to four before I did more than maintenance. Not because she was so much work to take care of, but she was so much fun to be with that weeding took last place. Enjoy your baby!
rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
10 years ago
Lombill, I think that you should post this in the Vegetable Forum, too.
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Dogpooponshoes, glad to hear you're ok. Only area of US 90 I've been able to get to so far is by the Bay St Louis/Pass Christian bridge. Of course the bridge is gone. And looks like pretty much every thing for 3 blocks in from the bay is gone or nearly. I'm up in Diamondhead. Fortunately above the storm surge. Am making a futile attempt to protect what's left of the garden from the roofers, fence people, tree cutters. They survived the storm but many are not expected to survive the recovery. (I have a small prince sago, the tree cutter ran over it with a large bucket truck. Survived that. And I'm not sure what the fence people did to it. But it looks a lot worse now. (And I'm not sure where to find another one. Will wait to see if it sends up new growth next spring. Guess I was lucky enough and far enough alone to begin thinking of what to do with the garde. (Replace the magnolia with a few mature palms perhaps. And spend some time going through the Pensacola nurseries this weekend. I did drive down Beatline. The Beatline nursery. The building looked ok. But everything was dead. The oaks weren't the only ones to take a hit. The pines along I-10 look about dead. As you pointed out. There was pretty much of a drought after Katrina. So there wasn't anyting to wash the salt out. Judging from the high water mark on the Kiln/Waveland interchange. The area was covered by about 15 feet of gulf water. Here is a link that might be useful: Mississippi coast
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DirtandYarn
10 years ago
Crimson cover is an annual, but reseeds easily. Blue lupines are beautiful and add nitrogen to the soil too. Birdsfoot trefoil is a great choice. Comfrey doesn't add nitrogen, but it contributes other nutrients. I'd recommend a mix of plants instead of just one. Any plants you choose will probably need some weeding while they get established, but once they do, they will improve your soil, and look great doing it too.
louisianagal
10 years ago
I don't think I could let it go fallow! Maybe something that wouldn't reseed and be hard to eradicate in the future? I am thinking like cucumbers, watermelon (small variety), other melons, gourds. Any other sprawling, vining fruit or veg. Indeterminate tomatoes can be left to vine on the ground actually. Not squash, which in my experience gets pests. Stick a little bird bath in there or birdfeeder (only use sunflower seeds becoz they are easy to identify if you want to pull them out - the other birdseed mix will just get you more weeds). This will be enjoyable for your baby, even a few months old will enjoy the flowers, fruits, and birds!

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