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PostPosted: Thu Feb 20, 2014 6:31 pm 
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I planted cover crop last fall for the first time in my 40' x 40' garden. (no beds) A mix of vetch and cereal rye. The rye is very tall and thick. How do I now prepare to plant my spring crops? Do I mow the rye now and let the vetch keep growing or mow both after the vetch blooms? I like to plant my tomatoes in late February or early March and cloche them with milk jugs. I am thinking of cutting out a 15" diameter circle and plant the tomato plant within the circle and then mow the surrounding later? Also, I planted the cover crop to help build up beneficial spiders and insects. But I just noticed that a lot of the rye is covered with aphids and I already found a *%#* cucumber beetle. Should I spray the cover crop with BT soap, orange oil, Garrett juice for the bugs or wait for more beneficials to show up?


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PostPosted: Sat Mar 01, 2014 10:47 am 
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You turn it under so that it begins to compost in your soil. Then plant in that. Personally, I would not spray anything, but if you did, Bt would only kill chewing insects not sucking ones. Spinosad would be the one to use.

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PostPosted: Sat Mar 01, 2014 7:30 pm 
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Thanks Sandi,
So since I don't have a plow, can I mow it and then till it in? Should I do it now or wait a little bit longer? If I till it in will it kill the aphids? If I just mow it won't the rye blades turn into a straw cover? I know, so many questions......


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PostPosted: Sun Mar 16, 2014 7:53 am 
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Just turn it under. Simple as that. Use a fork or rent a tiller. The whole point of a cover crop is to feed the soil while it is not being used for other crops. It has to be turned over.

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