Farmers often use a forage crop to add nutrients back into their soil. A forage crop is an excellent way for a home gardener to also add nutrients and rehabilitate their soil. It is a great method for adding organic material to a garden and dealing with difficult soils such as clay and sand.
A forage crop can also be referred to as “green manure”, “smother crop” or “living compost”. By planting the forage crop, letting it grow and then tilling it into the soil, you add compost to the soil at a great rate, with very little effort. When planted densely, the forage crop will choke out both perennial and annual weeds, with the results lasting for years to come.
Buckwheat and annual rye grass are good choices for a forage crop and can usually be sourced locally. (I stress you must use annual rye grass, not perennial, as perennial rye will actually ruin your garden by establishing itself as a permanent crop).
You can purchase the seed for forage crops at local farm and feed supply stores. You will need to purchase 1 to 1.5 kg of seed for every 300 square metres of garden, which should provide enough seed for repeat crops over the summer. This seed is very inexpensive and stores well in an airtight container, so don’t be afraid to overbuy.
Densely sprinkle the forage crop seed over your whole garden or just a selected area. Both buckwheat and annual rye seeds germinate and grow very quickly, forming a thick mat or canopy of leaves over the soil, blocking out the ability for both annual and perennial weeds to grow.
In order to gain the maximum benefits from this dense canopy, make sure you add more seed into any thin areas you detect once the plants start to grow. The dense forage crop will keep the soil moister than with other crops, so you shouldn’t have to worry about watering the garden this season.
Let the plants grow until they flower but not go to seed. Then work into your soil either by hand or a tiller. Gardening Guru’s Husband Tip: First, cut the crop down using your weed trimmer, let the buckwheat lie on top of the soil in a thick mat, raking as necessary, let it sit for a few days until well wilted, then till into the soil. This prevented the buckwheat from tangling in the tiller.
After tilling, you must immediately reseed the area with another crop of buckwheat. You continue to do this right up until the first frost, usually 3-4 rounds. With each round of crop, your soil will become looser and gain nutrients.
I can’t emphasize enough the improvements that a forage crop made to our soil after just one year. The forage crop broke apart the dense clay soil, making it very loose and nutrient-rich. Our crops the following years were a resounding success, and we eliminated many of our weeds.
Most gardens and soil can benefit from a forage crop, so I encourage you to give it a try. I guarantee you will be pleased with the results.
