I’ve only ever used mulch around my plants. I’m thinking of planting clover, alfalfa, buckwheat, and other low growth plants to act as ground cover instead of mulch. Is that possible or am I making life harder for myself?
TIA
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Buckwheat will grow 5’ tall,so no to that.IMO I would use a good compost.I know others use clover.Even straw would work.
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Ive read alot about clover. Great source of nutrients for your soil
Won’t clover die when it gets warmer?
I always have clover. The only time it dies in the summer is when its a drought and very hot. The areas that i kept watered though would make it through the spell. I live in the south though where its usually very humid
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I really like to use strawberry plants as a cover crop. They are yummy is the main bonus. And don’t get tall. I collect several hundred runners (clones) at the end of the season and store them till next spring in the garage. Then spring planting I turn over all the wintered mothers into green manure. Plant my spring crops and then replant the fresh runners.
The point of cover crop is to hold the soil together thru the off season to prevent erosion and to keep your microbes working on some roots. Also, to keep the weeds from taking over bare soil. Strawberries click all the boxes. The only way you could do better is to have a nitrogen fixer cover crop. But composting w a delicious cover crop does the same thing. In my humble opinion. Basically if I have a bare piece of soil in my gardens I cover it with strawberries. They like the shade too, just little fruit there.
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Sounds like a great idea. I may just try that. How much wedding is involved every week?