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6. & 7. Mulching and Cover cropping
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Straw or crop residue cover the topsoil and hold it in place while stopping rain drops from compacting soil. It also slows down run off so that rain can penetrate deeper down to the roots. It prevents soil from splashing on to leaves and so minimizes many disease problems from pathogenic bacteria in the soil. This is yet another form of field composting, where the earthworms and microbes digest the cellulose and feed the plants that follow. It is a source of many nutrients including nitrogen.
*Precaution- It takes nitrogen to make nitrogen. Always lay down compost before using mulches, otherwise it will “lock up” (monopolize the nitrogen available to the plant) and the plant will turn yellowish and lose productivity.
Horticulturist Simon GillIn our seminars students get to tour the farm and see, feel and hear the differing methods employed. Simon examines some mulched soil to show students the soil food web of insects, worms and microbes. |
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Cover Cropping7. Cover cropping to conserve topsoil and moisture [living mulch] Comote, kang kong watermelon and perennial peanuts cover the topsoil and hold it in place while stopping rain drops from compacting soil. It also slows run off so that it can penetrate deep down. This may eventually be used as forage and grazed, harvested or used as a green fertilizer. Be sure to pull back the cover crop when starting seedlings, most plants will compete for nutrients and the established canopy usually wins. The perennial peanut grows right up to our papaya trunk without inhibiting it. But corn needs more space around the seeded area. |
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Tomato and mulchMulching over a layer of compost with good irrigation allows for good yeilds on many crops. Our tomato does real well open field during dry season. Rainy season we go in the green house but still mulch the soil. |
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