From

Location

Message

Date Posted

Sparta, NC

Is it better to till in your cover crop green or kill it and then till it in?

4/3/2004 8:45:52 PM

Appalachian Mtns.

I think green Sam

4/3/2004 10:43:05 PM

Caceres, mid west of Spain

What I do is to mow it in the morning and till it in the afternoon the same day. I found it easier to work with the plough and to compost it later. But I think it much depends on what do you till with.
I will do it next tueday. One month before planting is a great time for the weeds to get composted.

Carlos

4/4/2004 4:04:12 AM

Ctpumpkin@optonline.net

Roundup would only be required if one accidentally planted a cover crop that contained a perennial plant that might cause problems later in the growing season. This is unlikely. Winter Rye (if this is what you used) never needs spraying.

4/4/2004 10:34:52 AM

Montoursville, PA

Keeping the PH high is a great weed deterrent. Weeds like a touch on the acid side. Cover crops do best at high 7.0 area PH. They till in for most of us. I use a cycle cutter and try to cut or mow and till in green.
....Actually hand turning is absolutely the best short of something almost no pumpkin growers do....sheet compost and no-till growing.

4/4/2004 8:15:50 PM

Menomonie, WI (mail@gr8pumpkin.net)

Many commercial pumpkin growers use a kill and no till with winter rye. I have about 1/4 acre of the jack o lantern patch that I am going to give this a try with this year.

4/4/2004 8:21:32 PM

Montoursville, PA

Good luck and much success with the no till. I feel that this is the direction of the most desired soil management.
When the success and failures of many are recorded we will all profit. On smaller plantings I still believe sheet composting and no till will eventually be part of the picture of solid and good management of soil. This would be as nature designed it in the first place. Our life long habits are very hard to change...are they not?

4/5/2004 9:55:41 AM

Covington, WA

I will be weed whacking my cover crop today and tilling next week. I will only spot spray with roundup to kill the grass that has come up in a few spots. I don't like tilling it in while still green, I believe this can cause problems with gases as the green material breaks down in the soil. I try to get a photo of it before I whack it down. The stuff got tall fast.

4/5/2004 2:59:51 PM