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Idaho Gardening

Boise Cover Crops

15 years ago

Hi There!

I am new to Boise and will be moving into a new home which already has a few raised beds in it! Great, but these beds have been sitting fallow with no amendments for I don't know how long.

I want to plant a fall crop, Brassicas and the like, beans, peas, amending the soil first with compost. After this, I'd like to plant cover crops to add nutrients and prevent soil/water erosion over the wintertime. Any suggestions for cover crops? Perennial vs. annual? Winterkill vs. not?

thanks for the help!

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Comment (1)

botanybob
15 years ago
Planting a cover crop to till in is a great way to build up soil organic matter. I don't know of any that will survive the winter except maybe a fall-planted rye. More typically they are grown for a short period to produce a lot of foliage, then tilled in. If they are kept too long and set seed, then they can become a weed problem. You should check in with the Ada County Extension Office. Susan Bell or Kevin Laughlin could probably give you some good local advice.
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