Hi All What type of cover crop would you recommend as a companion planting for grapes ??
Thanks Per Garp/NH ----- Original Message ----- From: "Gil Robertson" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Sunday, October 27, 2002 10:34 PM Subject: Re: RoundUp > Hi! Peter, > If the cover crop is slowing vine growth, it suggests that there is a > Nitrogen shortage. The cut cover crop and any mulch is mostly carbon and > needs a specific proportion of nitrogen to break it down. It is > important to start with a legume with the right inoculant to help set > nitrogen from the air, into the soil, in a form the plant can use. The > break down of carbon, also uses large amounts of nitrogen, which may be > what has happened. When you get a "nitrogen credit" in the soil, it is > OK to have a non nitrogen fixing cover crop. > > The use of the Preps will help the whole process. I also use the > combined compost Preps, sprayed onto the freshly slashed cover crop, > which seems to help it break down. > > If you have the time and a good Whipper Snipper, using the line, not > blade, you can make a little guard on a long handle, which you can put > against the butt of the vine and slash right to the butt, at ground > level. I do not see properly managed cover crops as competing. They will > keep out weeds and should produce all the N and C your crop requires. > While they will use some water, if slashed fairly often, they also > reduce water loss from bare soil and the effect of heat on the root run. > In Oz with our mainly shallow soils, it is important to use all of it we > can. A sun dried inch or two is wasted country and it also kills feeder > roots. > > Gil > > J Peter Young wrote: > > > Gil, We had a marvelous green manure crop this spring which, when we > > couldn't get control of it in the vine row, completely shut down vine > > growth in early summer. It is a young vineyard and apparently very > > sensitive to competition. Once the green manure crop finally fell away > > natually, the more noxious north coast weeds began to appear because > > of our irrigation. In some areas we did sow a clover vine row cover > > crop, but it was just a competitive. It's sad that next door, my > > conventional farming neighbor who uses a pre-emergent over the winter > > and then regularly applied RoundUp through teh growing season had much > > better growth and vigor with less water and a lot less fertilizer. We > > had hoped to only try to keep the 18" around each vine clear, but that > > is turning out to be impractical and next season we are going for an > > 18" to 24" wide strip. The aisles will continue to have cover crop in > > them providing habitat. Our biggest concern this year is getting in to > > the vineyard at the right points in time over the winer to use the > > vinegar and the number of passes we'll have to make each season since > > vinegar has not effect on the roots. Peter >
