Category Archives: Method

NYJER in a cover crop cocktail mix

Nyjer as a Cover Crop Mix choice. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guizotia_abyssinica Aka niger, noog/nug, nyger, nyjer, or Niger seed; ramtil or ramtilla; inga seed; and blackseed.  It also gets called niger thistle, but it is not a thistle.  Powers-that-be also implore us to pronounce it Nyjer, not Nigger. It is an erect, … Continue reading

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Summer Cover Crop Trial Feb 2014 Week 2

Summer Cover Crop Trial Feb 2014 Week 2 After week 1 the weather was cooler, not many days over 30C.  These tropical plants still grew noticeably.  It made me wonder if I had, again, missed the boat for a real … Continue reading

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Summer Cover Crop Trial Feb 2014 Week 1

Summer Cover Crop Trial Feb 2014 Week 1 What a difference a good soaking and hot soil will do, after 7 days. These pics are the plants so far, which have germinated, size being relative to the icypole sticks.  Some … Continue reading

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Summer Cover crop trial Jan 2014

Summer Cover Crop Trial Jan 2014. The garden sized trial for early 2014 is sown, and watered, finally. So it will be a “February germination” trial. And from past lessons learned, the walk rows are wide, I can and will … Continue reading

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Controlled Traffic Farming

Controlled Traffic Farming, or CTF, workshop Pictured:  Downward view of RH side of a seeder box, rear axle extension out to approx. 3m wheel centers.  I understand the cost saving in choosing a small box with the pivoting center dolly … Continue reading

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David Brandt, Ohio. Covercropper, No Tiller, champion of soils.

Promoted by Gabe Brown on his ranch facebook page today is an article by  Tom Philpott in MotherJones.com .  (open that motherjones.com link for the full article).  To quote: “One government agency website called Brandt the “Obi-Wan Kenobi of soil.” “. Brandt … Continue reading

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Summer cover crop trial Dec 2012

Well ,this has been a long time coming.  By request, this is a recent update on the latest trial.   These spp and cv were chosen based on what was available, recommended, and out of  plain curiosity.  They were sown … Continue reading

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Soil Conservation and Bean Stubble – the need for Ground Cover, of any sort – maybe a cover crop?

The Soil Conservation potential of Legume stubbles. When I started farming, for some odd reason we were bare fallowing field pea stubbles, with full cultivation, after running a bunch of sheep. What a crazy idea that was – clods and … Continue reading

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On Being Prepared to Sow Cover Crop Cocktails.

Be Ye Prepared. I constantly get the impression and message that if we are to successfully sow a summer cover crop cocktail mix in our Mediterranean summers, we need to make the most of the various rainfall events.  The reasons … Continue reading

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Future blog topics re Summer Cover Cropping – just ask.

Guar plant

Guar, a potential cover crop legume.

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