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Gourd Zone, WA

I have thought about garlic, potatoes, corn, and oats... what are your concerns or ideas about mixing competitive AGs into a garden crop rotation?

10/12/2022 1:06:18 PM

Bethlehem CT

Gritty any crop that is not a cucurbit should be really good for resting the soil. I don't know about anything in specific that would be better than the other. Beans and peas fix nitrogen, you can't lose with that.

1/17/2023 5:53:41 PM

Grittyville, WA

I think we do get some nematodes. Overall, I have a hunch that growing something dryland without irrigation, like garlic or cereal grains, would be best. Thanks.

1/17/2023 8:53:37 PM

Deer Park WA

Winter Rye is hard to beat although anything could be used if you dont let it go to seed and get away from you.

1/17/2023 10:44:59 PM

Bethlehem CT

Gritty what kind of nematodes?

1/18/2023 8:07:52 AM

Grittyville, WA

I'm not sure the kind, except they aren't the classic root knot nematodes of cucurbits. I have seen root knots on cherry tree roots though, also there may be some attacking my potatoes. There's so many species. Some people say you can garden in the same spot year after year but I'm getting hit or miss results.

Adding chitin/crabshell is supposed to help. As would solarization/rotation/ certain cover crops. I think nematodes are costing me a lot, enough that in the future they are going to be a high priority for me, equal in importance to fertilizing & watering.

9/14/2023 3:11:23 AM

Grittyville, WA

There might be some JADAM/ Korean farming technique that helps because they are the ones who say you can farm the same susceptible crops year after year without even removing crop residues.

9/14/2023 3:14:20 AM

Syracuse, NY

There are some cover crops that retain the same illnesses that affect cucurbits, as in being an alternate host, but I have not researched which ones to NOT use alongside/versus AGs. I will stick with my Dutch White Clover until I find any reason to not use it. It mows nicely, as well. eg

9/14/2023 4:49:29 AM

Grittyville, WA

I did grow a decent crop of cereal rye last winter, which does seem to help with my mystery problem. Clover... for an understory companion?
The main thing I dont like is, I dont need the extra humidity or shade around the vines and nodes. Just makes perfect habitat for things I dont need more of. Pennycress? or something would be interesting?? Like a mini mustard with a short lifespan...

9/14/2023 5:14:56 AM

Grittyville, WA

I meant bittercress... I think this is an unfairly maligned garden weed that could be very useful.

Its maligned because its the first weed to show up in spring when gardeners are getting that spring-fever-thing. But to me its practically screaming "use me as a short lived, non-persistent cover crop".

9/14/2023 5:23:20 AM

Partlow,Va

LK, I suspect your tater issues could be soil related. But I could be wrong. My tater take: For your potatoes you don't want "the perfect, loaded up soil like for giants. Ph should be close to 6, don't add any compost for a few years before planting them. Been there. Find some new 'weaker"ground for them and make sure you are good (not overloaded but sufficient) with Ca,Mg,K,P is what i would try. I just topdress after planting a little 10-10-10 and epsom on top of the row. One double handfull will go a fifty foot row is the amount I use. I dig the row deep and only cover the taters 2". So also at planting I will topdress the pile of extra dirt to be used in June for pulling dirt up to them with CA & Epsom. Let it matriculate in.

9/14/2023 9:06:30 AM

Syracuse, NY

It is purely a matter of having any pumpkin on a neutral platform of ANY kind. Moving a fruit periodically or even its own growth in kind will cause any rocks to dig into the fruit and/or become 'patch sores' that will become problematic without any barrier to them - my main nemeses every year. Would love to get Microclover, butt of course, wickedly expensive. eg out

9/14/2023 11:54:51 AM

Grittyville, WA

A person can always do side-by-side comparison plots and see what works. As for potatoes, they are eaten on by more than one bug, including nematodes I believe, but yeah I can get still good results when they have the right amount of fertilizer. Aiming for great results though not just good results. Keep raising the bar :)

9/14/2023 2:06:34 PM