HOW TO FIX A WEEDY GARDEN!

Experimenting is fun, but sometimes it goes all wrong! And now we have a plot full of weeds that are likely going to cause trouble for years to come. Join us to see what we're going to do about it.
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[@pamelajean7617]

please don't shy away from the technical aspects. as a fellow biologist, I'm here for all the nerdy science details. also - your cover-crop-planting music is fantastic!! rock on!

[@LazyDogFarm]

Glad you enjoy it Pamela!

[@jessicahellar323]

I agree, I love the technical stuff.

[@susancruz729]

Capital “N” ,NoTill , was an invention of Georgia Soil and Water Conservation scientists to decrease water runoff, and soil degradation on corn fields by leaving the soil root channels intact after a summer season. It was amazing to see the difference in the ability of the soil to absorb a rain event, on a plot here in Athens in the early 90’s. They were rightfully proud as punch, and I was left deeply impressed by the experience. The RoundUp came later as a secondary “aha” moment to solve other issues for commercial farmers. Conserving resources, including dollars, is not a bad thing in and of itself. The lowercase n, “no till” movement of Charles Dowding and others including myself, is evidence of how we all are grappling with these same realities together as human beings who care for the creation.

[@LazyDogFarm]

Thanks for sharing Susan!

[@johnmay8852]

thats what your good at adapt improvise and overcome you still walking

[@LazyDogFarm]

Thanks John!

[@lesliealexis674]

One of the smarter youtube gardeners

[@LazyDogFarm]

Thanks Leslie. You're far too kind!

[@lesliealexis674]

God bless you

[@loganyoutube4818]

Now if we could just get you to do a 13 way mix in your no till plot…the benefit of diversity starts to plateau after a mix of 13 species…I did a large diverse mixture and terminated it by mowing and then occultation by a thick hay layer(or tarp) and the soil was absolutely amazing following that with no tilling necessary

[@LazyDogFarm]

I might try some of the warm-season mixes from Green Cover next year. I did purchase a mix from True Leaf Market for the cool-season, so I'm looking forward to trying that.

[@carolavant3778]

Oh, Travis! Everything you've said here makes a lot of sense. You're so fortunate to have a wonderful partner to pick up the slack when you're incapacitated, and Brooklyn has done a great job with you. Right now, you be hollering at me for letting my garden get out of hand - It's a mess. Between major home projects, my limitations and losing one of my sweet little poodles, I just had to let the garden wait. So now, I'm pretty much doing what you're doing with that pitiful cover crop - First, I pulled all of the stakes and t-posts. Now, I'm pulling up the old tomato plants, mowing on a high setting, and removing the drip tape, scalping the are a and worrying it to death with the wheel hoe (so long as my back holds out and the rain isn't too bad!). I'm listening to you! Hopefully, by the time my seedlings are ready to plant, the garden will be ready for them! This is about the only time I miss having a partner around. And then I remember that I tend to do better on my own! Hmmm.....Maybe I can hire someone......

[@LazyDogFarm]

Sorry to hear about your poodle Carol. I know that's tough. But it sounds like you have a great plan to get the garden back in good shape for fall.

[@leahness3588]

Your the first gardener I watch that has talked about cover crops. It makes sense. 👍👍

[@LazyDogFarm]

Thanks Leah. Glad I was making sense to someone. lol

[@jaredmccutcheon5496]

In our region in California we used to grow thousands of acres of Safflower. It would get planted in spring and dry farmed in our hot dry climate. When I was a kid you would see yellow flowers as far as you could see. I think it only needs moisture when it’s young and then it does well in the dry heat. We don’t get rain after April maybe a tiny bit in May at the latest then it’s 90-100 degrees and dry.

[@LazyDogFarm]

I think it's the humidity it doesn't like. It would look okay in the evenings and mornings. But the heat of the day would suck the life from it.

[@jaredmccutcheon5496]

@@LazyDogFarm Crazy how we are both zone 8a but have such different growing conditions. I plant tomatoes in spring and have them growing strong till first frost but you lose most of yours in summer. I also don’t have nearly the problem with mildew on my squash. That humidity makes it hard to grow lots of things.

[@jackiekitchennowordsneeded587]

I believe in cover crops if it’s just a huge turnip green patch. I was taught that long ago by my granddaddy. I do a cover crop every year with winter rye or buckwheat. I even do leaves. You have to give back to soil. I am a in garden and plow gardener. I do have three raised bed which I also amend the soil on them.

[@LazyDogFarm]

Purple top turnips make an excellent cover crop!

[@laurierich5161]

My.cover crop usually is 6 feet of snow!

[@LazyDogFarm]

That's a good one to have!

[@poodledaddles1091]

Thanks...I really don't understand cover crops, that was helpful.

[@LazyDogFarm]

Glad it was helpful!

[@susangarland6869]

As one of those people who commented about not needing a cover crop for a no till garden, thank you for this thorough explanation of your reasoning. Lots of good information.

[@LazyDogFarm]

Thanks for the idea and inspiration to go into more detail on this subject!

[@MrRandy741985]

Travis I have a Aerator that I pull with a Four Wheeler, So I Till, Aerate, sow the cover crop, Aerate sow the cover crop, Aerate again. And I usually get a real good Stand. I think it helps make good seed to soil contact and I don't use a rake at all when I do it this way. I bet this method would work really well on the No Till also.

[@LazyDogFarm]

I bet that does work well. I know quite a few folks around here that use that same technique for planting their food plots for deer.

[@chrisrogers6950]

Travis, I learnt some thing today. Since I use the landscape fabric, I figured that I don’t need to cover crop, but I now see that there are other roles for it. So, thank you for this very important lesson today. Will now need to decide what I can do for the fall once the summer crop is pulled up. Much indebted to you.

[@LazyDogFarm]

Our pleasure Chris. We appreciate you joining us!

[@grannyreplacingthegrass6836]

I went to the store and bought a large bag of black eyed peas and just threw them on a empty spot of the garden. germination was very good.

[@LazyDogFarm]

Nice! That would make an excellent cover crop.

[@michaelsmielecki6628]

I will be using Daikan radish for the first time as a cover crop to help break up the clay in my inground bed.

[@LazyDogFarm]

That is an excellent strategy!

[@mommajscountrygardening]

You are always thorough. Thank you. We all are teaching each other. Thank you for sharing

[@LazyDogFarm]

Agreed! We should all never stop learning!

[@sundownfarms2731]

Thank you Travis 😊The sorghum grass and pea crop looks great❤I love all the info you give us..it's much appreciated! Have a blessed evening 🌅

[@LazyDogFarm]

Thanks for joining us Kelly!

[@ryanwillett728]

Cover cropping is absolutely part of a no till system. You need to keep something growing all the time and in the dead of summer, you may need to rest a bed to allow the heat to pass, cover cropping is a great way to keep the soil in photosynthesis production while you lay off for the heat. Over wintering is a great method too with wheat or rye if you aren't producing during the winter. You hit all the key points as to why CC is important!

[@LazyDogFarm]

All good points Ryan!

[@rootsoflife9793]

Cover crops for the win in no till👌

[@LazyDogFarm]

Yes!

[@tomhoff4172]

It's soo much easier when I watch it on my phone. Thanks for all your hard work.

[@LazyDogFarm]

Thanks for watching Tom!

[@donaldmcpherson3226]

Thanks so much. A lot of useful information for me in a hot humid climate.

[@LazyDogFarm]

Glad you enjoyed it Donald!

[@tommathews3964]

Excellent info on cover cropping Travis! Gotta feed that soil!! We take so much out, it's vitally important to give it something back, as well as all of the microbials feeding down there. Your chickens are going to LOVE all of the bugs in those plots! I can't wait to see them go wild in there!

[@LazyDogFarm]

Hopefully we'll be able to let them start feasting later this week. They're excited about the big day!

[@lynnes3659]

As always thank you for the great information. Hope the weather (heat) breaks there soon and it cools down for you soon.

[@LazyDogFarm]

Looks like we may get into the 60s at night this weekend. That will be very welcomed!

[@larrystrong6701]

As always very educational. I love all the information and try it out when I can. Thanks.

[@LazyDogFarm]

Thanks for watching Larry!

[@eroggero]

Good to see you back at it, back looks like it healing nicely

[@LazyDogFarm]

It is! Still gonna be a little while before I get back to 100% strength though.

[@reduen]

Thank you Travis for the info. I do understand where you are coming from on cover cropping your no till spot now...

[@LazyDogFarm]

Thanks for joining us!

[@cynthiaedwards5149]

Omg I could listen to you talk about cover crops until the cows come home. I'm glad you mentioned that about the innoculent on the red rippers and planting immediately. I had seen on another video that explained that you should let it sit for 30 minutes to an hour to let the innoculent soak into the peas. My thoughts on why I want to learn more about the cover crops is I think the give more value to my property. It's not just weeds. It's making good usable soil and if we decide to get any live stock later, then they will get proper nutrients from the cover crops. And if I get to expand to more garden plots, I can produce more crops or even just a flower garden. I'm looking into the cover crops for attracting deer (like my cucumbers didn't already do that) as well. I can hunt on my own property so that's a plus. I didn't get the safflower planted yet, but listening to how yours didn't thrive as well, I'm thinking maybe now would be better. With the hurricane, it brought us a little cooler Temps. But I do plan to utilize the Labor Day to till my onion plot and plant the safflower there. Maybe the cooler Temps will work better for the safflower. I'll let you know how mine come out. Your sudan grass looks great by the way. THANK YOU FOR ANOTHER GREAT VIDEO! and yeah I like your background music too. Prayers to my Louisiana family and Mississippi neighbors, everyone affected by the hurricane Ida, our troops, our country.🇺🇲

[@LazyDogFarm]

Thanks Cynthia! Definitely let us know if your safflower does better than ours!

[@jacquelinethomson2722]

Thank you Travis. That made a lot of sense to me!

[@LazyDogFarm]

Glad it did!

[@Lulu-ue2lj]

Great video. So glad you took the time to talk about cover crop importance. All the things you mentioned plus micronutrients to build better soil, or did you say that? Everyone’s plot is different so there can be no blanket statement about not needing cover crops. Thank you so much for the educational and important videos you post.

[@LazyDogFarm]

The addition of organic matter to improve soil structure would be another added benefit that I didn't mention in the video.

[@doggiefamily908]

My safflower cover crop is coming up nicely. I hope it will not do what your did. We'll see. Planted two bags of store bought blackeye peas. They grew like crazy, last week deer came and ate all the pods. That's ok. It was for CC and the deer must have left some fertility.

[@LazyDogFarm]

Sounds like a nice mutualistic relationship between you and the deer. lol

[@stevefromthegarden1135]

The peas and grass combo looks very lush. I cut down my cover crop of buckwheat yesterday in my no till bed. It did produce a lot of vegetation, so I am letting wilt down for a few days. After that I will cover it with compost and tarp it.

[@LazyDogFarm]

Solid plan Steve!

[@johnmccoy2721]

Really love you guys, been with you a year now, just cant take the constant click bait titles, Please guys consider breaking this terrible habit

[@LazyDogFarm]

Unfortunately, that's how the "game" is played on KZbin. Catchy titles get more views than boring titles. It would be nice if it were different, but unfortunately it's not.

[@zwtrussell4517]

Great video tonight. You said you might use the garden seeder to plant a cover crop in the no till plot. I made a 5 hole seed plate for the garden seeder which gave me a 3.8 inch seed spacing for the buckwheat I planted on 6 inch row spacing. I used a lot less seed. It does take a little more time to plant but you get good germination. They say we may have some temps in the sixties by the end of the week. Theme to start cool season crops Broccoli and Cauliflower. 🤞

[@LazyDogFarm]

Yep. As soon as these Ida bands move through here today, I'm getting more stuff started in the greenhouse.

[@butterflyj685]

I totally agree with you!

[@LazyDogFarm]

Thanks!

[@jonlewis6630]

I dont cover crop. I am tarping for the first time this year. Maybe I will look into cover crops next year. Thanks for the info and insight!

[@LazyDogFarm]

Nice. First comes tarp, then comes cover cropping! lol

[@pamelamercado6902]

I've always planted the old fashioned way in the ground with rows but last year I took a small area and did the no-till no dig compost I found it to be more work The plants grew but not as well as my in-ground garden It would rain and there went my heels I haven't given up yet so this time I will do it more like a flat area and see how it goes.

[@LazyDogFarm]

It definitely took a while for ours to get "right." Stay patient, keep adding compost, and it should for you as well.

[@herbcounselorh7734]

Ok, Wow! I've learned a lot; like I shouldn't let weeds be a "cover crop" :- ) ... actually I just been keeping the Fall plot tilled regularly but then I still have the weed pressure later. Got some weeds that only grow in the Fall/ Winter:-0 Been trying to "solarize" with plastic, an area of the garden to see if it'll kill those weed seeds. Let you know how that works later. Great information! I always learn a lot watching your program. Thanks and may God bless.

[@LazyDogFarm]

In our tests over the years, we've always had better luck with black plastic versus the white. But definitely let us know how it works for you.

[@matthewmcclendon5308]

Im not opposed to cover cropping. If I had as many gardens as you, I would. I’d be able to rotate crops better as well. Got only three gardens that are smaller than all of yours. Easier to manage. I could spend less than an hour a week pulling weeds. An it’s therapeutic. Working in the gardens is good for the soul. It’s what we’re supposed to do. I do like the idea of some of these crop roots digging deep and pulling nutrients up. I do believe that to be conclusive. I’ve also been making my own compost from the land around my gardens as well as what’s left from the gardens. So I’m getting the same nutrients, just not root development in the ground. I do rotate in the the upper soil with the new compost. Im not completely no till. I just do it by hand. For now. Kinda what bigger gardens an could do it, if i had more equipment and time. God bless y’all and keep making videos.

[@LazyDogFarm]

Thanks for sharing Matthew. Gardening techniques are very relative, depending on your scale and what equipment you have.

[@dustinpotter8312]

Some of the weeds I have in my garden are of the deep root variety but if they do not get a chance to set a deep root they are just as shallow as vegetables grown in the garden. The concept of no-till violates the deep mineral extraction of cover crops or deep rooted weeds. It's a gardeners paradox. It is easier to weed after the ground has had a good soaking rain or watering but weeds pulled at that time seem to be harder to kill though understandably so. I try to never remove weeds from the garden but lay them out in the walk ways shaking the dirt off the roots and laying the roots on the tops of the weeds already pulled. Dried brown leaves do not as as much nitrogen back to the soil but they do impart minerals when they breakdown. They can be composted but I prefer to mow the garden in the fall and spring before it till up the ground the first time.

[@butterflyj685]

I live in Georgia too and have tried growing safflower for 2 years with no luck. I find it does alittle better if it gets afternoon shade but yeah the humidity here is too high.

[@LazyDogFarm]

Thanks for sharing your experiences. Some crops just can't "hang" in this nasty humidity.

[@dustinpotter8312]

Mowing the errant cover crop down is a great idea but I think tilling it in right away is not as bad as often thought. Timing is imperative though. The potential seeds must not be allowed to mature and bruised immature seeds will not germinate. I don't get the extended growing season you get so I use my rear tine-tiller between rows for weed suppression but my tine depth is set very shallow like 1" and that makes a big difference but it has to be done when soils are dry. In the spring I use my weed bank to provide "green manure" and actually till the soil two to four times before prepping the seed beds for planting. Spring rains and frost dates usually guide my hands where that is concerned and part of my garden is clay based and some more sand/gravel. Shallow tine depth allows me to "power weed" in dry conditions and it immediately dumps the immature weeds into the soil as an added green manure boost. Of course the weeds are only too happy to seek a lax hand on my behalf.

[@LazyDogFarm]

Setting the tiller at a minimal depth like that is a great way to disturb the weeds without disrupting soil structure. Sounds like you've got a solid plan!

[@dustinpotter8312]

@@LazyDogFarm No set "way" is perfect for all occasions and I have a double wheel hoe with several tools and a Warren hoe to boot. I like your info as it helps me get what I like out of my garden and boosts the quantity. Thumbs up!

[@texasgardenerrobert8341]

That combination of grass and peas is the dinkum. The commercial farmer I worked for grew those types of combinations not just as cover crops but for chopping into silage to feed dairy cows. Ya know the farmer that used cultipackers at planting to get good germination I told you about. ANYWAY! What I would do with that bad safflower plot is roundup and when it’s all dead use a weed burner. It will kill the seeds as well. They pop like popcorn. Then you have some good carbon for your soil. Only takes about two weeks and your done. I would like to hear more about some cover crops that are good at scavenging potassium and phosphorus instead of just nitrogen. I think I figured out why your crops grow so much faster than mine is because you get so much more rain than we do. Good video. Keep on keeping on.

[@matthewmcclendon5308]

Pass on the round up

[@LazyDogFarm]

Daikon radish is a great scavenger as well for the cool season. Might want to try that one!

[@markware7748]

Robert, that RoundUp will kill weeds but it'll kill you too. Tarps would be better for his situation.

[@texasgardenerrobert8341]

Phassh. When round up sees me coming I have to chase the jug across the shelf, it’s shaking in fear sooo bad!!!

[@scientificexplorergirl3374]

Just wondering if you have any thoughts about using a flame weeder to reduce the weed seed bank? So glad to see you back at it again! Thank you.

[@LazyDogFarm]

I think that would work well to kill all the weed seeds on top.

[@ranhen8951]

great bumper tune at the 18 min mark, great stuff

[@LazyDogFarm]

It's a good tune for sure!

[@backwoodsbaby9729]

Im really hoping ida stays strong enough to get to me. We need the rain really bad. Got big cracks in the yard :( But everytime i look at the forecast it gets lower chance. As a side note. My garden is a back to eden style with so many wood chips. So so many.

[@LazyDogFarm]

Looks like we're going to get some of the outer bands today, as if we needed more rain.

[@harrytustin5260]

great info thanks

[@LazyDogFarm]

Thanks for watching Harry!

[@papawsplace]

Great Info.

[@LazyDogFarm]

Thanks Eddie!

[@ranhen8951]

when I lived in richmond bay area san fran and shasta lake city in shasta county CA - I never had to spray but since I moved back to my home town of harrison AR northern AR I have to spray every week or it is game over man lol the bug pressure here in the south is insane - spray or die lol

[@LazyDogFarm]

It's definitely a different game in the south where pest reproduction is fast and frequent.

[@marysurbanchickengarden]

I dug my sweet potatoes yesterday and I'm a little disappointed. I made sure they had complete fertilizer and plenty of water, but I didn't get any real big tubers. I discovered I have some of the biggest and fattest wigglers I've ever seen in that particular patch. It had a lot of homemade compost in it and it had those big fat big ole grubs that help break down the compost. That soil is alive with plenty of nutrients, and the slips were put in late March. I was expecting some monster sweet potatoes, but not happening. They were in there 120 days, so what went wrong?

[@LazyDogFarm]

In the years where my sweet potato harvest was disappointing, I always attributed it to too much nitrogen and not enough potassium. That would be my best guess with yours as well. We'll see what we get when we harvest ours soon, but I'm hoping add that sulfate of potash (which we've never done in the past) results in a good harvest.

[@steffaniewalz8444]

That was a great explanation! I am not sure I told you, my ex and I commercial farmed wheat in Kansas. I am so far against commercial farming that I tune out anything commercial. The land is dead with commercial farming. What you said is exactly correct, we would lose top soil if we left ground naked. Where I am in north Texas, I see nobody growing in our ground. LOL you could make bricks with this stuff, just dig and bake. Peanuts! I need to know how to grow peanuts. Who better to ask than you. Thanks!

[@LazyDogFarm]

I need to know how to grow peanuts too! I didn't get very good germination when I tried earlier this year, but we'll try again next year.

[@steffaniewalz8444]

@@LazyDogFarm oh we’re in a big boat . You were encouraging on the popcorn. I’ve watched videos of it. MIgardener has one but I was hoping for something deeper. Well, here’s to peanuts, Cheers!

[@gitatit4046]

Travis, been watching you, Brooklyn and the family now for awhile and love the videos. I saw your fig tree collection a few videos ago and just wondering if you plan to sell cuttings from your trees - or potted plants from them - at some point? I'm looking for a Smith and/or maybe a Malta Black which I think you showed.

[@LazyDogFarm]

We might sell some cuttings on our website when we get it finished in a month or so. We'll just have to see ...

[@gitatit4046]

@@LazyDogFarm Good deal. I'll keep an eye on the site but if you do decide just give me a holler back. I'm thinking of adding those two figs to my SMALL orchard (of about 8 or 10 trees). Thanks and keep up the great videos.

[@mutantryeff]

Extreme humidity in the summer starts at 25% to 30% for me.

[@LazyDogFarm]

I measure humidity by how long it takes for me to need another shirt. lol

[@mutantryeff]

@@LazyDogFarm If my shirt gets wet because of humidity, its time to start getting naked from the top down (if I can).

[@suepatterson2702]

That one plot is a stunning cover crop. Would you spend some more time explaining how to conquer an established weed seed bank?

[@LazyDogFarm]

Gotta force them to germinate and then kill them before they make any new seeds. Tarping is great, but a frequent cultivation is good too as long as you stay regular with it.

[@jeaniepartridge6701]

I have never cover cropped in raised beds.

[@LazyDogFarm]

It can certainly be done!

[@gregwakefield1306]

Question for you Travis, would burning that plot be effective for getting rid of the weeds, or would that do more harm than good? Thanks for all your tips. I'm an old dog still learning.

[@LazyDogFarm]

Burning would definitely work if I could get it to burn. Too wet and too green right now though.

[@gregwakefield1306]

@@LazyDogFarm Thanks for the reply. I was curious

[@WILLITGROW]

good luck with this plot..the other one looks good.

[@LazyDogFarm]

Thanks John!

[@joeykennedy418]

Travis, I’m looking to plant winter peas this year as a cover crop. It’ll be my first time, and I’m not sure when to plant and how long they will last in the garden before I need to worry about them going to seed. I’m in north Louisiana, 8b

[@LazyDogFarm]

I usually try to plant cool-season cover crops around mid-October. Although frost tolerant, you'll want to give them some time to get established before it gets too chilly.

[@tannenbaumgirl3100]

Our growing season is too short in Zone 3 to grow our vegetable crop plus a cover crop.

[@LazyDogFarm]

Yep. Not enough time up there!

[@markware7748]

I'm short season also. Have had good success with alfalfa pellets from the feed store to get those good nutrients replaced.

[@tannenbaumgirl3100]

@@markware7748 We're not talking about dried alfalfa pellets, the kind yoy feed to cattle and horses...I use those to fertilize my soil always and you can add those anytime of the year. That is different than growing an actual green cover-crop after my regular crop is complete...we don't have enough time for that because of the short growing season.

[@wwsuwannee7993]

My deep south cover crops are iron clay peas, sorghum sudan grass, and frosty berseem.......never have let me down.

[@wwsuwannee7993]

planted in season...forgot to mention that

[@LazyDogFarm]

Frosty Berseem is such a good one! Thanks for sharing.

[@marysurbanchickengarden]

Hey Travis, I was wondering if those red ripper peas are good eating? Why don't you plant some pink eye purple hull for a cover crop, I know they eat good. Got another onion question for ya. My sprouts are about 5 inches tall and very close to out growing the container. I'm concerned if I plant them out while it's so hot they will die. I've been gardening for many years, but I usually always bought starts. I changed that last year and did seeds. I am happy with the Plethora I started from seeds. My starts are in 3 to 4 inches of soil and very thick. What would you do in this situation?

[@LazyDogFarm]

Yes the red ripper peas are good to eat IMO. Some folks don't care for them as much because they're more nutty and earthy than a pinkeye, but I think they're good. I'd go ahead and plant the ones you have. Might not be a bad idea to start another small round now and compare them just so you can see the differences in planting really early vs. later in your area.

[@p.singletary6702]

One of our garden plots is mostly clay. My husband and I are thinking of doing a diakon radish cover crop for the fall. What are your thoughts? Have you tried that variety before? Should we plant it alone or pair it with another cover crop? We are in zone 8a.

[@LazyDogFarm]

I have planted daikon as a cover crop many times. I've planted it alone, but I've also mixed it and it did well that way. Last year I mixed it with brown mustard so I could get the biofumigation benefits as well. The year before that, I mixed it with hairy vetch and Austrian winter peas and they did well.

[@p.singletary6702]

@@LazyDogFarm I've heard bad things about the smell of the radish. Is this true? 😬🤣

[@LazyDogFarm]

@@p.singletary6702 I've never noticed an unpleasant odor.

[@mikedaniell213]

Looks like the back is better. Hope it is. Could you take your torch and lightly touch the seed pods and kill them. 🤔

[@LazyDogFarm]

I could, but I'd probably need a bigger torch for that area.

[@martinandrews8496]

Hey can u recommend a place that sells like 6 or 12 cell seed trays that are good quality like hisses are. I got the 24 pack from them but the cells are to big for a lot of what I do but I don’t need the big ones. And all the normal 6 cell I buy are very flimsy and only last one usage

[@LazyDogFarm]

I'd take a look at Greenhouse Megastore. They have just about anything you could imagine.

[@dans3718]

Check out Dr ChristineJones lectures on youtube. Plants build soil. Diversity in a plot builds soil better/faster. Cover crops keep plants in the soil growing, so they are better than soil covers like mulches and landscape cloth. But anything is better than bare soil. A lot of the no-till/low-till farmers I follow do use cover crops. Most of the ones I follow who don't are full-time, year-round market gardeners who have cash crops growing constantly.

[@LazyDogFarm]

I've seen some of the talks she has done in conjunction with Green Cover Seed -- very interesting stuff!

[@MBHeritageFarms]

lots of people that call their no-till "Back to Eden" and it is covered in woodchips. most folks won't till the chips in with the soil for nitrogen depletion. or so I'm told

[@LazyDogFarm]

You definitely don't want to till wood chips in the soil because they will rob nitrogen as they decompose. I guess the big question would be .... do the benefits of the wood chips outweigh the benefits of being able to use cover crops?

[@MBHeritageFarms]

@@LazyDogFarm to be honest, after watching you and your wife install drip tape and hill crops with the wheelhoe so easy, we almost regret using chips because we have to do those jobs by hand only after moving the chips back first. that by itself is a huge disadvantage. We have learned a lot from yall. Lazy Dog Farm #1 gardening show IMO you guys are awesome.

[@LazyDogFarm]

@@MBHeritageFarms Thanks y'all! The buried drip tape system definitely works well. And since your'e only watering right under the plants, you won't have near the weed pressure. So that helps quite a bit.

[@pamt8430]

Travis, I am a newish gardener (raised beds and a 12x12 plot. So if plant a cover crop. It grows. Then what? What are the next steps after it grows? I can't find a lot of info after it's planted and grows. Zone 6

[@LazyDogFarm]

You want to terminate it before it produces viable seeds, which usually happens about two weeks after flowers appear. You can terminate it before that if you need to use the plot to plant more veggies. In a raised bed, I'd just weedeat it and use a fork to "turn it over." If you're against turning the soil, you can tarp the bed to terminate it after mowing/weedeating it.

[@georgeemery8107]

At what height are you cutting the Sudan grass and peas to turn back into the soil? This was the first year I’ve used a cover crop and I’m not sure at what point to cut it down. Right now it’s about 1-2’ tall at this time. I’m in zone 9A.

[@LazyDogFarm]

If I'm just growing sudangrass, I'll sometimes mow it at about 2-3' feet and keep mowing every time it regrows and gets that high. That really helps to add a lot of organic matter to the soil. In the case of growing the sudangrass with the peas, I'll probably just wait until I need that plot again for veggies or until I see the sorghum start forming seed heads -- whatever happens first.

[@XaViEr3520]

What’s up Travis!!!

[@LazyDogFarm]

Sup Xavier!

[@terrycrissman7392]

What about planting buckwheat for a cover crop?

[@LazyDogFarm]

Buckwheat is a great warm-season cover crop for short-term windows. It usually flowers in 4-5 weeks down here.

[@terrycrissman7392]

@@LazyDogFarm yup, I’ve grown it a few times. So thick it’s can be as effective as roundup and can get another crop in after the initial one. Good for bees

[@shampoo7112]

Can you explain what inoculant is, what it does, and do you use a certain brand?

[@LazyDogFarm]

It's basically a concentration of bacteria that allow nitrogen-fixing crops (peas, clover, etc.) to do their nitrogen fixing.

[@sharonnorris5984]

Do you have any tips for dealing with Cogon grass???

[@LazyDogFarm]

Never dealt with Cogon grass personally, but from what I hear the growth structure is similar to Bermudagrass which we have down here. The best way to eliminate it completely is to use a tarp and till technique. Till the intended garden area, then tarp it for a few weeks. Remove the tarp, give it some overhead water, till again, then tarp for another few weeks. Repeat this process 3-4 times and it should remove it all. Those underground rhizomes are a booger, but the tilling and tarping has worked well for us in the past.

[@ranhen8951]

I'm calling B A Baracus and the A Team lol - Cover cropping is #supernecessary

[@LazyDogFarm]

Correct!

[@warrenfrink4533]

Hi Travis. Do you rotate your cover crops?

[@LazyDogFarm]

I do sometimes, but I'm not as strict about it compared to my rotation of vegetables.

[@allenhickman5914]

I use a cover crop ONLY to improve the soil ... especially to add nitrogen back into the soil. Last year and this spring was the first time I've "tarped"... Wasn't really a big success for me, but I'm sure that I still tilled the soil and stirred up some weed seed. I have one plot that was a success though...I tilled it two months ago with my 7' tiller and there still is almost 0 weeds popping up... we got a little rain day before today and this morning I tilled again to get rid of what weeds did pop up...but really hardly any...which is certainly new for me here.

[@LazyDogFarm]

That's great to hear. Sounds like you've done a great job of reducing that weed seed bank.

[@leonardlavalier329]

I tried cover crop for the first time last year. Sorghum Sudan Grass and Sun Hemp mid summer and Hairy Vetch and Tillage Radish late Fall thru winter. Only the Tillage Radish grew well. So, I thinking Tillage Radish only this Fall. What do you think? Does it hurt anything to plant the same cover crop every year? What do you recommend and where to buy?

[@LazyDogFarm]

It won't hurt anything to plant the same one, but mixtures also help with diversity. We get our cover crop seeds from Green Cover Seed (www.greencover.com). They have some cool-season mixes that include the radish I believe. Might consider trying one of those.

[@markware7748]

I can see that you've got your thinking cap on again. You may want to take a look at the mycorrhizal mix from GreenCover Seed Co.. It's a mix of thirteen seed varieties, sort of like a KFC secret recipe. Mine is well established though young at just six inches tall. Germination was very good. It's likely that you're going to have to drill your seed for the no till plot to keep it moist enough to germinate. Would the design of the seed plate on the Hoss planter allow drilling a variety of seed shapes and sizes simultaneously?

[@LazyDogFarm]

Always have the thinking cap on ... lol. I just don't always let it loose. I saw that mix they have. I recently purchased a couple cool-season mixes that I'm looking forward to trying. The seeder doesn't work well if you're planting a bunch of different seed sizes. It's designed to singulate seeds that are all the same size.

[@cherylbertolini3140]

you should always cover crop.

[@LazyDogFarm]

I agree!

[@TheMachiningman]

If you have a grass catcher you could suck up the vast majority of those weed seeds.

[@LazyDogFarm]

That would work very well if I had one of those "grass catchers." lol

[@arthurdewith7608]

And balance the carbon nitrogen cycle

[@allenhickman5914]

Weeds? Sounds like something that I would do... So many times weeds win.

[@LazyDogFarm]

It happens ...

[@LauraTeAhoWhite]

What's the name of the song?

[@LazyDogFarm]

Here's the song: kzbin.info/www/bejne/nGbMgoppoKqZhc0

[@ranhen8951]

pro tip from a bad back: wear your weight lifting belt as I do, make a huge diff,

[@LazyDogFarm]

Thanks for the tip!

[@XaViEr3520]

9:34 what’s that white looking web in the back on your “pawcawn” tree jk peecan tree

[@divineguidance11]

Webworms.

[@LazyDogFarm]

Yep, webworms. They're everywhere this time of year.

[@sdfft820]

Please tell us the make and model of the tripod sprinkler that your are using. Thank you.

[@LazyDogFarm]

This is the one I've been using for quite a few years: amzn.to/3zFnRdR

[@LiberaTeTutemetExInferis]

Cover cropping requires several steps in order to do its purpose and no till simply isnt compatible with cover cropping. In my opinion no till is just a gimmick promoted by a wave of publications on behalf of large industries, the herbicide industry, as no till equals more herbicide as far as commercial growers are concerned, that is how they deal with your topic of the day. No till is also promoted by fertilizer industries as no till equals to a much greater need for npk, particularly nitrogen, the problem is nitrates are already responsible for polluting the water bodies. No till is an illusion, a marketing mirage created and promoted by large industries to appear greener than green, the only green they are interested in is the one on the dollar bills.

[@cpnotill9264]

Sorry but I have to disagree. Nature doesn't till and seems to do just fine as the soil aggregates form, worms do the tilling. Biodiversity is key along with minimal disturbance. Amazing system with the hyphae creating such networks spanning miles. 🌱😁

[@LazyDogFarm]

@Wyoming I think many folks don't realize where "no-till" got its start. It wasn't some documentary on KZbin. It started with the commercial guys who found that Roundup is cheaper than diesel fuel. At least around here, that's why they do no-till. It's all about the dollars and cents of it all.

[@travisevans7502]

@@LazyDogFarm I don't no where it started but Charles Dowding is suppose to be the godfather of the no dig movement and uses no chemicals or fertilizer other than compost I say more than one way to skin a cat what ever gives you result and leaves the smallest footprint gardening is getting as bad as politics anyone who doesn't do things the way they do is wrong.followed by some conspiracy.

[@LazyDogFarm]

@@travisevans7502 I'm not sure who gave him that name, and no doubt that he is great at what he does. But no-till can mean different things depending on where you are. Around here, it often means mass herbicide applications.

[@travisevans7502]

@@LazyDogFarm That may very well be true I don't know for sure myself I just know that the people who are following Charles Dowding and those kind of gardeners and doing that kind of gardening method aren't spraying Mass herbicides they use all organic fertilizers or no fertilizer at all and just compost once your beds are established I don't know if there's any connection between the two maybe possibly there is maybe they found some good information from the original no dig I don't really know I just know that what he does seems to work so I've chose to go that way myself but not against how anybody wants to grow food just hope that they choose a way that isn't full of nasty herbicides and things that pollute the planet I understand sometimes you got to do what you got to do I may be doing something completely different if I was growing on a larger scale but I just garden in 7 10x6 raised beds and 15 large pots nothing near what you're doing my whole garden wouldn't even equal one of your beds but I grow more food in it than I can eat I have to give half of it away and I freeze and preserve quite a bit of it not enough for the whole year but close.