Cover Crop Difficulties

18 years ago

I already went over some of this, but it was a while ago so I figure nobody remembers, so I might be giving context that will be repetative for some of you.

I live in Orange County, Southern California very close to the ocean. I have access to a field next to the school I teach at. Every year they spray the weeds (which I am yet to identify) with round up and plow it under. This year they sprayed but didn't plow. I pulled up about 2000 square feet of the dead weeds, broke up the soil with a fork, added some compost and fertilizer, broadcast a variety of cover crops that I thought might grow given what I read, and mulched with a thin layer of hay. I kept the area consistently moist for 3+weeks, and then started watering once a day. The entire area was covered in green specs after a week and a half, but then the cover just slowly disapeared. The only plant that has thrived is "Cowpea Papago". One other plant with a leaf that looks like mint is also coming up in some places. I can't really figure out what it is at this point (or if I even planted it for that matter).

My question at this point is, what might have gone wrong? I have some hunches:

1) Wrong plants for my area? I planted Cowpea Papago, Buckwheat, Sweet Yellow Clover, Bird'sfoot Trefoil, Chicory, and Medium Red Clover.

2)I raked the seeds under too deep, which would explain why only the large cowpea seeds survived.

3) Birds ate many of the seeds, which would again explain why the big seeds survived. I planned for this contingency, which is one of the reasons I mulched with the hay.

4) Squirels or Gophers ate the seeds or seedlings?

5) Not enough water? It was consistenly moist, I thought!

6) The soil is too packed? Do I need to rent a rototiller and really give the area one good tilling before I get all idealistic and just think I can break it up with a fork, or not at all? I think this might be the problem because those mint looking leaved plants are about three inches over by the water spicket where the water leaks onto a pile of dirt. The same plants are also coming up under a bush that hadn't been killed by the round up.

7) Not enough sun? Because the field is in the marine layer, it is overcast quit often.

8) Something wrong with Ph or Nutrients. I tested the Ph and it was about 6.5. I ordered a more comprehensive soil test kit, Le Mote, but it never arrived.

Any suggestions as to what I could do would be awesome...here are my current plants:

1) I still have the mustard mix that I ordered, so I'll plant that for sure in early novemeber.

2) A Large portion of the cowpeas I ordered arrived late so they are only planted on half the space. I was thinking I'll plow that half under, because there will actually be some organic matter to plow under, and I'll just plant the mustard straight in the other half, and see what happens.

3) I plan to plant cowpeas and whatever else might work (buckwheat?) in the early spring feb/march

Thanks for any help.

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Comments (7)

garnetmoth
18 years ago
Maybe there is still some roundup around?

I saw something recently about some herbicide having residual effect on vegetable crops, Not dead, but less healthy looking.

Are they going to quit poisoning and tilling if you can make a nice cover mix? I agree birds probably got some. Also, if you raked into big clods, seed loss could be a big issue.

good luck!
corporationsrule
Original Author
18 years ago
"Are they going to quit poisoning and tilling if you can make a nice cover mix?"

Well, they'll leave the 2000 square feet I weeded, and they leave the part that the special ed kids use for gardenning alone, but there is still about an acre of land that they might spray and plow. There is still a lot of dead roundupped weeds that they haven't plowed under yet. There was some problem with an older teacher getting poisoned by the stray roundup, so they've just left a lot of the weeds there, half of them dead.
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garnetmoth
18 years ago
um. wow. thats ultra scary.

Im glad youre making progress! im supprised a school has that much free land
corporationsrule
Original Author
18 years ago
It is suprising that there is that much land, especially in Orange County four blocks from the beach. It was the old horticulture class area. The guy who did the class retired 4 years ago and they've been dumping electives like crazy so they never got a new teacher. I'm not sure how long the field will just sit there unused (and poisoned), but I might as well use it to learn what I need to.
mid_tn_mama
18 years ago
Ok. Here's my 2 cents worth. When you plant seeds, esp tiny seeds like lettuce the ground needs to be moist. But not too moist. I know it gets dry in So .Cal. And yes, I do know you watered well.

When I plant tiny seeds like turnip and lettuce, for example, I water, seed and then throw a wet sheet over the area. In the next week or so I spray the sheet to keep things moist.

When I plant, I sprinkle dried coursely crushed eggshells all over the area to keep the slugs down. I don't know where you are, but moist = slugs where I am.

Don't be discouraged. You may have a lot of cutworms and slugs in the area. Or a lot of hungry birds. Try netting if that's the case. Keep trying...
kris
18 years ago
Hi, I just pop into this forum every so often, but I thought I would give my 2c.

The things that strike me are:
1.) 4 blocks from the ocean-salt spray is got to be a factor. You may need high salinity plants (cowpeas are pretty tolerant of salt)
2.) You might consider fava beans-they can be grown as a winter cover crop in your area I believe. I'm going to do it in mine and It get's colder here I think (z8).
3.) Sounds like you got germination since you saw growth, so seeds weren't taken by birds or didn't germinate they just didn't take off. So it's a problem with seedling growth not germination. Though I would probably seed the big ones first, rake, and then the small seeds just toss on top and maybe walk across the area or smooth with back of rake.
4.) Seedling growth: too much fertilizer-maybe you burned them? Try again now that it's been a while the fert has mellowed some if it's org fert.
5.) Seedling growth: too much water-you mentioned a mint growing. Mints grow great in waterlogged soils, could you be growing pennyroyal? Mints suggest too much water to me.
6.)Roundup should have degraded (glycophosphate is favored because of its rapid degradation), there is something called daconil-I believe this has a longer breakdown time. I believe daconil is in roundup plus.
7.) part of the reason for ocver crops is to help break up the soil, so I would avoid more tilling if possible.
8.) Keep an eye out for crickets, they really went to town on my seedlings. you can trap and drown them with molasses/vanilla/water. Or use mosquito netting to keep them out.

Buckwheat is a warm season cover crop.

Best of luck, have fun with your cow peas:)
mikkle
18 years ago
How many times in a season do they normally spray & plow? If it's once each season and it usually keeps the weeds down, then your problem might be Round up.

Cover Crop Difficulties

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Cover Crop Difficulties

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garnetmoth

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