200+ Organic Fall Ryegrass Seeds-Lolium Multiflorum-G078-An Excellent source of Carbon, Nitrogen for your garden
With its deep roots, Ryegrass Organic penetrates even hard packed soil to introduce oxygen and water pathways that can be used by other plants when it dies back at frost. Its foliage loads up with carbon and nitrogen, which is then released to the crops that follow. This fast growing grass is prized for use as silage as well as weed suppression. It is easier to germinate than other cover crops, simply requiring contact with moist soil (in dry periods it should be sown only 1cm (½") deep). It makes an excellent temporary lawn, or it can be combined with other cover crops, including harder to establish clovers.
How to Grow Ryegrass Lolium multiflorum. Hardy annual. The deep roots of this crop penetrate even hard packed soil to introduce oxygen and water pathways that can be used by other plants when it dies back at frost. Its foliage loads up with carbon and nitrogen, which is then released to the crops that follow.
Timing: In Zone 6 or warmer, it makes an excellent fall cover crop, and will hold soil in place over winter. In Zone 5 or cooler, it’s better to sow mid-summer to early fall for spring tilling. Seeding: Sow seeds 2-4cm (1-1½") deep. Cropping: After its burst of spring growth, turn ryegrass under or cut it back before it reaches 30cm (12") tall. Allow three weeks after tilling before planting the next crop. Starting Cover crops can be directly seeded, with not much earth covering the seeds.
Reasons to grow cover crops:
To protect bare soil from being washed or blown away.
To keep nutrients from being washed out of your soil and to add even more when using our nitrogen fixers.
To loosen the soil deeper than you can or would want to dig.
To increase organic matter, improve soil structure, drainage, and aeration.
To control weeds.
To help beneficial insects and microorganisms overwinter.
To increase yields and break pest and disease cycles.
To grow your own mulch and compost material.
Harvest Till in or cut cover crops before the seed heads mature. If you till in the whole plants, allow 2-4 weeks for them to decompose, as raw biomass ties up soil nutrients to the detriment of newly planted seedlings. Cover crops provide the primary benefit of preparing your soil for further vegetable cropping.
If you choose to allow your cover crops to go to seed so you can harvest the grain, be aware that their root mass can be extensive and difficult to turn over. That said, your own oats, rye or buckwheat straight from your own garden are really a treat and can aid the determined 100 Mile dieter.
