In response to the post What Are You Doing With Finished Plants? Mary asked “How can I plant cover crops in the mess of vines and plants when I cut down finished growth?”
Giulia wrote saying that she struggled with that too.
Bet my guess is correct that most gardeners have this concern because they’re afraid the cover crop seed will be drowned by the depth of the residue and thus won’t germinate.
I’ve had the same concern in the past.
One of the easiest answers to this concern is to cut up vines and plants as you pull them up. The smaller you make the pieces the more it will settle onto the bed.
If you’re like me, how small you cut things will depend a lot on how much time you have and how tired you get.
If I only have time to rough cut, pieces are larger.
If the window for planting is narrow, I’ll sow the seed over the rough cut residue and come back in a day or so and randomly chop the residue in that bed with my hedgeshears. The drier the residue the easier it is to chop . (I’ve sometimes missed getting back to chop more but the seed still germinates.)
Tools You Can Use Cut
Harold Found a Tool He Loves
Harold left this comment : “— this will be my 4th year of chopping and dropping spent plants in my garden beds. Something that is making this process easier is this tool I got online at Walmart.
It’s a combination of the best parts of heavy duty scissors and pruners. Very well made, no plastic parts. My grandson will be able to use these one day if he so desires.”
And as he knows, smaller pieces speed decomposition. The main benefit I can see to faster decomposition is beds tend to look a bit neater when volume of plant residue decreases a bit.
The tools I use when starting to remove finished plants.
I’ve used Felco Hand Pruners for decades. They’re always with me in the garden everyday.
When I start removing finished plants they’re wonderful especially for cutting stalking-plants or vining crops. After the initial rough cut the hedgeshears are what I use to quickly chop the dried residue into smaller pieces. (If I get to it.)
So Many Ways to Accomplish Your Goal
Years ago I’d rake the plant residue from the bed, sow the cover crop seed and rake the cut residue back over the bed.
There’s really no right or wrong way. Whatever works for you is fine. The main thing is to accomplish your goal of adding plant residue to energize the soil and getting your fall crops or cover crops planted.
Final Thoughts
If you have a great way that I’ve not mentioned, please share. And allow us to take advantage of your discovery.
Mary, let me know if this was helpful to you.
Giulia, you said you thought you knew what my answer would be – did you get it right?
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Here’s. the post I wrote on my hedgeshears:
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I always listen to Theresa but there are times I have modified suggestions and at times something else works better in my soil. I think that is one of the blessing of gardening, listen, but if it works for you then that’s the best way.
Thanks Theresa.
Ray
Well said Ray. Our goal is to keep all the good principles. They’re locked in. But there
are so many “ways” to accomplish the end results. Adjustments to basic ideas can help us
find the way that works best for each of us.
Hello Theresa,
Nice post. It was great to see some tools that would help with efficiency as my efficiency seems to diminish every year so a better tool may make up some of what I am losing as old man age is doing his thing.
I do have that Felco pruner and a couple silky saws that I have worn out. We have lots of trees on the property and I have probably been in everyone. I regularly do some pruning as I see fit to how I like my trees to grow. Most are native oaks, hickory, black cherry, cottonwood, ironwood, walnut, cedar and some I don’t even know what they are. A couple apple trees too. Silky has certainly earned its Keep. A fantastic saw. I have also been very satisfied with the Fiskar line of tools.
It’s been a very productive year in the garden. We consume lots but I can’t give it away fast enough. Insect pressure was the lowest that I can remember. Japanese beetles were scarce, Squash vine borer did not kill anything, Squash bugs not here, Kale and Broccoli almost unscathed by the green worms and asparagus beetle not an issue. Life is Good.
The downside are the moles and they have been the spoiler. I have caught 6 and discovered a new trap that seems to work 100% when put in the right run.
Wishing you the best of health.
Jim
I usually run my lawn mower (a rechargeable battery powered lawn mower – no fumes 🙂 over large or thick chop and drop (like sweet potato vines). I start with the mower on a high setting then gradually lower it. Sometimes I mix dry leaves into my green chop too. Works like a dream. My rechargeable lawn mower is this poor gal’s “chipper shredder” for chop and drop or crop residue reduction jobs too big to do with pruners or snips alone.
Wonderful! I never thought about chewing up the spent crops so they would break down faster. When I think of that, I think of using our grinder. I suppose I could grind it up then spread it on the beds. Will give that a shot. Thanks so much. And I needed a reminder that leaving the spent vegetation to compost in the garden, gives it a more direct injection of ‘good stuff’ than putting it on the compost pile.
Hope and Mary —
Please read today’s post that I just put up: https://tendingmygarden.com/energy-is-lost-when-residue-is-reduced-to-fine-particles/
Theresa
Thank you Theresa!
I’m happy to report that I got it sort of right I guess I worry too much and too often about chopping up things in smaller pieces. It’s good to know I can try and relax a bit about it if I don’t have the time
Thank you for sharing what tools you use. I’m taking notes!