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By Teri Silver  Rye spikes (pixabay) Public Domain Gardening is a sure-fire way to promote “farm to table” fresh vegetables, herbs, and fruits. Although spring and summer are notably the best times to raise most garden favorites, autumn and winter planting helps to enrich soil throughout the growing seasons. Often called “green manure,” cover crops feed the soil with decaying roots and dead leaves. Rooted vegetation keeps groundwater from evaporating and protects it from erosion. Cover Crops Planting cover crops in winter helps prepare soil for spring and summer favorites like tomatoes, peppers, and green beans. Some cover crops (legumes, for example) increase oxygen in the soil. Other benefits include the following:
Categories If you want diversity in the garden, plant “less popular” edibles like lavender flowers, roses, and wild violets—they spice up salads, breads, and spreads (who knew?). Flowering plants produce more blooms after nutrients have sunk into the soil. Winter crops add food sources to the soil, while protecting it from erosion and decay. Cover crops are often divided into three categories; legumes, annual grasses, and miscellaneous varieties. Legumes add nitrogen to the soil and produce beneficial bacteria to enlarge root cells. Root bacteria then “grabs” nitrogen from the soil to convert it into nutrients. Legumes emit bacteria carbohydrates, oxygen, and protein. Large tap roots help to break up the soil. Annual grasses like cereal rye, barley, and oats germinate quickly and provide cover for the soil while legumes (and other winter vegetables) are getting started. Grasses (and their decaying roots) provide organic matter to the soil. Miscellaneous varieties bring benefits to the soil in different ways. For example, mustard leaves and radishes store nitrogen from the soil, “recycle” it, and then work it back into the dirt. (Legumes do this, too). Greens Green veggies like spinach, kale, arugula, broccoli, fennel, Brussels sprouts, and cress are cool-hardy crops that survive in frosty climates with cold temperatures. (Check out your state’s growing zone with the U.S. plant hardiness zone map). Enrich garden soil with compost, bone meal, mulch, manure, and other types of organic matter. Fennel is packed with vitamin C, fiber, potassium, and manganese. Celeriac, a type of celery root vegetable, has lots of phosphorus and vitamin K. Spinach is a great source of iron, vitamin C, and vitamin B6. Colors Color up your winter garden with orange carrots, red turnips and radishes, white onions, purplish beets, and orange-brown potatoes. Root vegetables feed the soil as it feeds them. Onions are high in vitamin C, fiber, and antioxidants. Sweet potatoes are rich in vitamin A, manganese, fiber, and beta-carotene. Turnips are a great source of vitamin C. Starting a vegetable garden takes a bit of planning. Cover crops improve the soil in your garden as the land “rests” during the regular growing season. Choosing the type of winter veggies depends on what you like, but the best kinds are those that don’t take a lot of time and effort to maintain. After all, you need a rest, too.
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