Our cover crops in the big fields did not get a good start this year due to the dryness of the early summer.
So there is a bit too much grass in there for my liking. Nature abhors a vacuum so where the red clover did not take off; a ditch grass grew. And in a cover crop we do not let anything go to seed.
The cover crop is sown into the (Fall sown) winter wheat when the ground is frozen. (Winter) As the earth freezes and thaws then freezes and thaws again the seed is naturally worked into the soil in preparation for germination when the weather warms up. (Spring) Then when the wheat is harvested in mid summer the cover crop is revealed and all ready to shoot up into the sunlight. (Summer)
So when the cover crop does not start well we can have a bit of trouble with weeds.
I noticed the grasses going to seed on my walk the other night so I called in the mowers.
It did not take them long to clean up the fields again.
In a perfect world these would have been out there grazing but my herd is too small and I have plenty of grass in my own fields. Stock in the winter fields is an ideal rotation with small grains.
Which is why in the old days grain was often grown along with dairy. Wheat in their paddock rotation.
Now be honest. How many of us gardeners actually sit in the garden chairs and just relax.
It takes me not even 10 seconds before I see something I should be doing. An errant (rampant) weed, or pond housekeeping, or a flutter of fish watching my outline hoping for fish food, or a tree that needs a late summer prune.
A delivery has been delivered to the Post Office.
(which is why i am late in posting) more on that tomorrow!
c
The Kitchen's Garden 
28 responses to “Cover Crops Need Loving Too”
Chicks!!!!
Yes!!
Oh yeah, this just SO true Celi!
The bit about not being able to sit and relax in your own garden!
Chicks – how exciting!
That frog looks quite big – quite fortunate or the Catfish would eat him …and I’d be tempted too!
When he sits on a rock he looks like a big green rock.
I have not seen any of the catfish yet. The blue hills all come up to feed.
They will be down at the bottom, unless they escaped!
And we have seen no bodies.
…and Catfish are predators – they will eat Blue Gills! Your pond must be heathy though, if there are fish babies and frogs. Perhaps the Catfish have found something exciting on the bottom…
It feels quite balanced and there are a lot of fish babies!
Yes – it looks lovely in the pictures!
I missed the frog! Thought the photo an interesting study in leaves. So glad someone mentioned the big frog! LOL.
The new post didn’t appear–just computer-speak!! Lots of it.
I almost didn’t respond to this post Celi. As you know, I am at Townie and yesterday I sat unashamedly reading as the gardeners tidied my little town garden for me. One attacked the Ivy that was growing up a wall and getting totally out of hand while the others cut hedges and mowed the little lawn. My only job is to keep the many pots tidied and up to date. So I am sorry you aren’t able to sit in the sunshine (ot the shade) and enjoy the labours of your work
I would have a clean up crew like that here in a heartbeat. I don’t think it is that I don’t have time to sit. I can certainly make that time – I think it is more about; I won’t sit. Still. But maybe now I will, just to prove a point – well after I have mowed that is!!
A pond seems to change every day! So much to ponder.
Laugh!! I saw what you did!!
😇
the writting is way to light. please make it darker for the older women who have trouble seeing it. ty C
I personally make each block of text black for you – this is as dark as it normally is. I am so sorry you cannot read it. Can you make it bigger on your screen?
its not the large part that is bothering to me, its just not dark like how this reply is.
Sorry about that – is it just this post?
no, its all posts.
Oh I am sorry then/ I will work on that for you but I think it is a theme thing.
i dont know if you have a bold lettering on the page you write on . if you do just click it and it will be dark lettering. that is what i do. it shows above where you writ the letters are this…AA B I U. THE B IS THE ONE.
I know which one is bold but we don’t write copy in bold. It is a little like shouting. Just hang in there – tue next theme should be darker but we have only just started working on upgrading these pages.
what is yelling is the capital lettering.not just smaller letters. does it show i am yelling? it is just chatting. lol
I have a little wrought iron table and two chairs in my back yard, under the callistemon tree. I never sit there. It looks pretty, but as you say, the minute I sit down I’m leaping up to twiddle with something.
It is ten seconds for me too, especially if I am doing yoga at home. I see dusting to me done, stuff to be moved or cleaned etc so I go to yoga classes instead. They never seem to have the same dust issues