Improving clay soil and cover crop questions

[Estrella77]

Farmers here in Michigan plant fields of alfalfa. It sends roots down deep -- I've read up to 20 feet. The roots bring up minerals and break up hard pan. The farmer near me grow alfalfa for 2-3 years, then rotates to corn or wheat. He cuts the alfalfa for hay for his cows. When he cuts, you'd think the plants are dead, but they come back each time. To kill it, though, he sprays glyphosate.

I planted alfalfa as a cover crop in my garden once, several years ago. Two tillings the next spring took care of most of it. I still find a few plants, and I can't pull the entire root up, it goes so deep.

I planted it on a counterscarp, and sure enough, it's holding the dirt/clay very well. I plan to leave it; I can cut it for hay for the chickens or for mulch for the garden.

I've read mixed things about alfalfa, mainly the concern being about getting it out come spring. But deep roots would be awesome, I can't imagine anything growing past 3 inches. Which reminds me, do you also recommend just cutting the plants at the soil and letting their root structure overwinter in the soil?

 

[Estrella77]

Hi! This YouTuber might interest you! I'm in SE PA too. In 2020 I put down a thick layer of mulch, it's broken down now, but it didn't add much girth to the soil. I joke with my hubby that I can grow rocks. I'm going to try to put lots of leaves down and more of chicken and horse manure this winter. To build it up. I'm working on a quasi native garden and small veggie and herb patch.

I'll definitely check out this video, thanks my pa friend! Good luck to you w your clay too

 

[Sally PB]

I wish alfalfa would take well here, but we are said to get too hot for it.

I saw what I thought was heat stress on some of the fields here.

I've read mixed things about alfalfa, mainly the concern being about getting it out come spring. But deep roots would be awesome, I can't imagine anything growing past 3 inches. Which reminds me, do you also recommend just cutting the plants at the soil and letting their root structure overwinter in the soil?

I planted the alfalfa in the fall last year. Not on purpose; because the county put ditches in next to the road "for better drainage." After they were done, I spread the alfalfa thickly on both sides of the road.

I had the seed left over, and it was several years old. I didn't know if it would sprout, but apparently alfalfa remains viable for a long time when stored in my basement.

I think the farmer killed the stuff across the road from our property when he cut the corn and sprayed the weeds. On our side, the seeds sprouted in late fall and came up strongly this spring.

Right now, the plants are 8-12" tall. I don't know whether I'll cut them this fall, or just leave them. They will over winter just fine.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

I like the flipping idea- maybe I'll dig up a layer of the clay and try to put the compost later under it instead of putting it directly on top or rolling it in.

For the clover cover crop, in the spring do you till it or just dig it out in bunches and turn it upside down or what?

Thank you!

My plow cuts what is essentially a wedge out of the ground and flips it on top off the ground next to it, sandwiching the cover crop between the untilled ground and the ground I just flipped on top of it, in parallel rows. I'll leave it that way about a month in early spring - kills the weeds, kills the cover crop, lets things start to decompose naturally. Exposes a lot of weed seeds.

Then I plant, and loosely rake back (with a box grader).

I wish I had photos.

Its not something you want to do often, and I don't think it can be done in clay soils effectively w/o a tractor or something else w/ a big motor.

Both Plowing (what I do) and tilling (which a lot of people do) risks creating a hardpan just below the depth your tools reach, from overworking the soil and repeatedly driving over it. But since I have a hard pan on the surface, moving that layer down 6-8" is already a net benefit - and to the extent I can avoid driving over it repeatedly - I can control how quickly it packs down.

Minimize plowing, minimize mowing, mow as high as you can (I have a 6' hammer flail on my tractor), don't drive the same pattern every time, let things grow in the interim - and you can ensure that 6-8" deep hard pan layer never develops.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

I saw what I thought was heat stress on some of the fields here.

I planted the alfalfa in the fall last year. Not on purpose; because the county put ditches in next to the road "for better drainage." After they were done, I spread the alfalfa thickly on both sides of the road.

I had the seed left over, and it was several years old. I didn't know if it would sprout, but apparently alfalfa remains viable for a long time when stored in my basement.

I think the farmer killed the stuff across the road from our property when he cut the corn and sprayed the weeds. On our side, the seeds sprouted in late fall and came up strongly this spring.

Right now, the plants are 8-12" tall. I don't know whether I'll cut them this fall, or just leave them. They will over winter just fine.

Leave them!!!!

 

[Sally PB]

Exposes a lot of weed seeds.

I avoid tilling whenever possible, for this reason, and because breaking up brome roots/stolons just multiplies them.

It's also hard on the earthworms.

 

[Sally PB]

Leave them!!!!

You talked me into one less thing to do! Thank you!

 

[U_Stormcrow]

You talked me into one less thing to do! Thank you!

HAPPY to help!

 

[Sally PB]

I'd be happy to return the favor! What can I talk you out of doing?

 

[21hens-incharge]

Has anyone tried growing buckwheat as a cover?