by Marla Koss, ABG Board member
Last November, while researching soil improvement advice for an article slated to appear in the December 10th issue of the Alameda Sun, I interviewed Greg Dupuich, owner of Encinal Nursery, and Ploughshares Nursery’s General Manager Jeff Bridge on their recommendations. In an intriguing turn of events, both men immediately said “Green manure.” In other words, a cover crop grown during the winter that would be tilled under in the spring and left alone for a month or so before planting in. My issue had always been a reluctance to actually till the cover crop under. It seemed such a waste; I wanted to actually harvest the Fava Beans or Peas and still get the benefit of nitrogen-fixing in my soil. Couldn’t I have a bit of both?
After checking around online, I found a cover crop I could get excited about: the Edible Winter Cover Crop seed mix from Peaceful Valley, a 1-lb. bag of mixed seeds including small Fava Beans (Bell Beans), Sugar Snap Peas, Biomaster Peas and Yellow Peas. I could enjoy the beans and pea pods while they were young and fresh, then either till them under or cut them off at the soil surface and leave their nitrogen-fixing root systems intact and leave the plants as mulch or toss in the compost bin.
In mid-November I broadcast a half pound of the seed mix in an area roughly 5 ft. x 3 ft. and covered it with a thick mulch of redwood tree litter and twigs to discourage birds and squirrels. It worked, and the seedlings grew up through the mulch.
It’s now early March and there are finally blossoms on the favas and the peas. I had originally thought I had broadcast the seed too close together, but now I realize that all these plants are using each other for support. Next step: one could till it under or mow it down right now in preparation for an April planting of summer crops. But I intend to harvest, cook and enjoy for as long as they last, which could be another 6 weeks.
