When does everyone start cover crops for reusing soil in pots

[caliprop215]

I think I'm too late for cover crop.

What do u guys use and when do u start.

I got my worms .

65 gallons pots now.... replanting Into 100 gallon later.

Thanks

 

[smokinfat024]

I follow this guy named Kali Grown Buds on YouTube who plants it right after he cuts down at the end of the year. He said it’s better to get it started before it gets too cold.

 

[caliprop215]

I seen him also. Thanks

 

[art.spliff]

I sowed mid late February and watered the ground with a sprinkler in the mornings. Cover crop I have used like grass for compost. Haven't tried it with plants going. Straw or hay is good mulch you can get it in bales instead of growing a cover crop. Tall grass and weeds might invite too many bugs but something low can keep the soil from drying out. Some elements are shared but I tend to mix everything, not just pick it off and leave it there. Top dress or chop and drop or no till or no mix, whatever it's called. I prefer to keep everything clean and compost the debris in an aerobic pile before using it in soil mix. The concept is the same but it looks like there is a lazy way and I've been doing it the not lazy or the hard way. Compromise, some of each may be better.

 

[CrushnYuba]

Its not too late. Do a high nitrogen cover. Something that fixes N with bacteria inoculation.

In all honesty though, as much as i do like covers, if you are trying to get nitrogen from it, you won't get much unless your soil is low in N to start. I'm pretty sure a legume crop will use the N in the soil if it's available before fixing it from the air. You will get nice fresh organic material and your biology moving though.

If you don't want to spend the time and you want to add N for sure, instead of planting a cover crop, just add alfalfa from a bail.

 

[moses wellfleet]

I threw in some papaya pips for the hell of it, quite a few have come up underneath my flowering plants.

 

[St. Phatty]

I remove the top 1/3 or top 1/2 of soil, and put that in my super-compost tub (a 32 gallon plastic garbage can.)

Layers of soil, food scraps (banana peels etc.), and old Cannabis plant bottoms, bud bits from extracting seeds, etc.

Then LOTS of worms.

I get the worms by putting stuff on the ground, e.g. sheets of plywood and bags of dirt. After a week there is a whole bunch of worms etc.

Give it 4 months to process and it will be true super soil.