Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve Magruder
Yes, I don't think I want to re-till my garden.
However, if a crop can be broken back down into the soil by mowing with a mulch mower, would that be an option with any particular cover crop?
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I use my mower a lot. Depending on the situation I use mulch, blown and bagged. Luckily my new mower converts very easily to all 3.
Bag it when clearing crop residue so pathogens can be composted and killed or bag the grass clippings from the lawn for mulch and compost material. Mulch it when you want nutrients right where it sits. I also occasionally use the side blower to either let it dry a day and rake like hay, (if I DON'T want it to compost right away) or when I mow my paths between rows I blow the clippings into the beds.
Here is a great clip on cover crops and how to know what to use and when. It is commercial scale, but the principles can be adapted.
Innovative No-Till: Using Multi-Species Cover Crops to Improve Soil Health