It is now halfway through autumn and some vineyards are already dropping leaves. The days are colder and the nights significantly colder. It is time to sow the cover crops. “What is cover crops?” you might ask. We plant cover crops (grains and lupines) between the rows for various reasons. Firstly it suppresses weeds. It develops a healthy microbial environment in the topsoil. It prevents soil erosion during winter time and ensures more water gets absorbed into the soil. It serves as an organic supplement to the soil after it has been sprayed in September. It promotes good soil structure.
That is just a few reasons. The are more scientific ones, but I wont bore you with that. Lets see some photos!
Here is a custom build Cover Crop Planter. Works like a charm.
This is what the cover crop seeds look like (Grains)
After planting…
And you will see in the Feature image of this post what it looks like two weeks after planting.
That’s it for now. Have a great weekend.
