Using Living Mulch Between Vegetable Rows In Hot Weather

Under hot, dry conditions, living mulches compete with crops for essential resources such as soil water. According to research at UW-Madison, broccoli yields were significantly lower when treated with living mulches than when grown in traditional conditions.

Some cover crops have allelopathic properties (they inhibit the growth of other plants), however this effect usually dissipates with time and tillage. Grasses such as rye are good choices since they decompose quickly while adding organic matter back into the soil.

1. Plant a Cover Crop Early in the Season

If weeds have become excessive, planting a cover crop early in the season may help stop them from overwintering and competing with vegetables in their row. Growers should select a crop appropriate to their region and time of year – examples may include buckwheat (if your soil temperature permits), hairy vetch, winter rye, crimson clover or phacelia as viable choices.

All these solutions can help provide excellent weed suppression and increase soil organic matter, with clover often serving as a living mulch due to its nitrogen fixing capabilities, with bacteria living within its roots absorbing atmospheric nitrogen for fertilization of nearby vegetable plants.

Ideal, cover crops should be destroyed before setting seed in order for their roots to decompose and break down into the soil. If this isn’t possible, clovers may be cut back or tilled in before setting seed while rye and wheat varieties can be chopped and composted or placed deep within the soil.

2. Plant a Cover Crop Late in the Season

Installing living mulch in your garden can help suppress weeds, increase soil organic matter and improve overall soil quality. Furthermore, flowering varieties such as sweet alyssum or creeping thyme attract pollinators and beneficial insects which provide pest control benefits.

Cover crop plants serve as a protective shield, limiting soil moisture evaporation and keeping levels consistent throughout the growing season. Their decomposition also improves soil structure, promotes microbial activity and releases essential nutrients which will be taken up by cash crops later on.

Winter cover crops require vernalization in order to germinate and produce seeds in the spring, and this process may be compromised by excessive heat during their growing season, reducing their ability to provide weed suppression as a living mulch between vegetable rows resulting in lower yields. Therefore, planting your living mulch early is key!

3. Plant a Cover Crop in the Middle of the Season

Vegetable farmers know the value of cover crops: they prevent soil erosion, increase organic matter content and add essential nutrients like nitrogen. Not only that but cover crops can also help manage pests and diseases by sucking up pathogens from the soil and eliminating them over time.

Early season planting of these legumes can reduce weeds and improve soil texture, while late summer sowing may compete with vegetables for resources, overwinter, and be difficult to stop when spring rolls around.

If you plan to use living mulch, select species with fast growth rates so it can quickly establish. Alyssum and clover are excellent choices as they can withstand light foot traffic in garden pathways while still providing pollinator attraction and pollen harvesting benefits. They’re especially great around fruit trees to add beautiful green aesthetic while providing moisture retention, soil stabilization, moisture retention and nutrients for their surroundings.

4. Plant a Cover Crop in the Late Summer

Cover crops provide many advantages to soil health as they decompose, such as adding organic matter to it, improving structure and microbial activity, suppressing weeds and erosion prevention as well as other benefits. Furthermore, their roots scavenge nutrients lost from fields, returning them back into the ground where their next crop can take advantage of them.

Cover crop species such as legumes can serve as living mulches while providing nitrogen to your garden, while providing pollinators and natural predators of vegetable pests with extra benefits.

Clover is a fast-germinating cover crop. Lincoln recommends planting cash crops directly or transplanting into clover in early summer before it becomes too competitive, then mowing to slow its growth prior to transplanting time in order to give their own plants an advantage over it. He also plants winter clover as an annual living mulch to control weeds for future seasons.