Cover crops are a game changer for the health of your garden

When we think about gardening, we put most of our attention on what comes out of the ground. But more gardeners are beginning to focus on what’s below the surface. That’s because the foundation of every healthy garden is healthy soil. 

Baton Roots Program Manager Mitchell Provensal explained the importance of utilizing cover crops at the Sow Good Saturday event held on the first Saturday of every month at the Howell Park Community Farm, 5509 Winbourne Ave. 

Mitchell Provensal leads a discussion about the benefits of cover crops at the Baton Roots Community Farm on Saturday, July 2, 2022. The buckets on the table are full of seeds. Two are mixtures and the middle one is full of crimson clover.

Ground, soil, always wants to be covered up,” he said. “In nature, if you, or something disturbs the soil, something is going to grow there. Soil always wants to be protected. In between growing our crops, or between seasons, you can grow crops that will cycle nutrients to the soil, some will add nutrients to the soil, and then you can chop them down and incorporate them into the soil and it will be like compost, or green manure.” 

RELATED: What Is Green Manure and Why Should You Plant It?

Clover is a common cover crop because it is a nitrogen fixer. Basically, these plants can grab the nitrogen from the atmosphere and pull it down to the soil. It's stored until it's needed by the plants. And all plants need nitrogen, some more than others. 

“[Nitrogen] makes their leaves big and green, it makes them grow quickly,” Provensal noted. 

Synthetic fertilizers became a standard in American home gardens, but synthetic fertilizers only produce a quick jolt of energy, unlike the naturally stored nitrogen in the soil. 

“If your garden is not doing well, most likely it’s your soil,” he said. “Soil is the biggest issue for gardeners. [Cover crops are] just the cheap, effective way of making your soil healthy.” 

Another benefit of cover crops is that they will not need tending during their growing period. These are no maintenance plants. 

“If you don’t put something there, something will put itself there for you,” added SK Groll, Baton Roots Program Manager. “So this is a really proactive way of weed managing where you know there’s going to be beneficial nutrients put in later. 

Now, if you’re thinking cover crops are only for farmers, think again. Last year I let the bed I prefer for tomatoes rest during the fall and let it get covered with some nitrogen fixing weeds. Throughout the fall I would toss in some occasional kitchen scraps. When spring came, I pulled most of the weeds and then tilled in the rest. The result was phenomenal! I had a bounty of tomatoes this year, much to the envy of all my gardening friends. 

My tomato plants are still producing, but we are coming up on the end of the season. Thanks to Baton Roots, I have three bags of various cover crop seeds. For the tomato bed, I’m going to plant crimson clover, which is much different than the traditional white clover you see throughout the city. 

All of these seeds were provided for free from the Baton Roots Community Farm. Providing free materials is part of their mission statement. The goal is to get people growing to allow for greater independence.

“It’s a cool weather crop,” Provensal noted. “And it gets pretty tall.” 

Crimson clover is a pasture legume that will add a lot of nitrogen to your soil. For those looking to prevent erosion, it helps build up the soil and prevent nutrient runoff. It establishes quickly and is beneficial for all the little insects in your garden, which benefits everything you grow. 

I’ll share photos once I plant it and see how it looks as it grows. Make sure you’re following @downtowneastgarden on Instagram. And, if you’re in the Baton Rouge metro area, come out to the Howell Park Farm on the first Saturday of every month to get more tips from other gardeners/farmers. This is the best way to learn!

If you like the work being done by Baton Roots, consider becoming a Walls Project Insider. With a donation of $10 a month, the farm can purchase supplies needed to continue providing free events like Sow Good Saturday.