PLANTING WINTER COVER CROPS IN THE GARDEN

This will allow us to improve the garden even more, even during the winter months.

Although we are also using straw as a cover on our raised beds, we are still planting some winter cover crops. These will not only help build up the soil and prevent erosion, but we should be able to get a few meals out of them too!

The Austrian Winter Peas are an impressive plant that will provide us with some tasty greens all winter long. They grow incredibly in cold temperatures, and the leaves and tendrils taste like peas, which can be a delicious addition to salads and other dishes.

The Winter Rye grows well in cold temps too, and its roots run deep. These deep roots help break up our clay "soil" beneath the beds and pull Nitrogen towards the surface. While many till it back in when spring arrives, i may just be doing a "chop and drop" to leave the soil undisturbed.

We planted more lightly than we would have if we were not still using straw, but when planting these winter cover crops heavily, they'll form a nice cover for your garden or raised bed to protect it during the "dormant" winter season. The bed above doesn't look much different from the ones that we just covered in straw, but soon we'll have some green sprouts bursting through!