Starting cover crops

With the late heat we've had in Silicon Valley, the cover crops are going to go in a little later than usual so that the summer vegetables can take advantage of the last burst of heat to give us more tomatoes.

Black Brandywine and Better Boy tomatoes. A fine pairing.

Sure, there are other plants out there doing impressive things, but our main concern is usually the tomatoes. This year is no different.

The extra time before planting cover crops and winter food crops is also good because it gives us a chance to start some of our winter crops indoors so that we can plant stronger transplants into the winter garden rather than vulnerable seeds that can get mowed down by a single hungry pest. 

If you've ever put seeds in the ground in spring and then watched as their nubile little stems emerge and then get summarily gnawed to a nub by a mysterious bug under the cover of darkness, you know the pain all too well.

Churchill Brussels sprout starts. Be strong, boys!

We can't have that happening to our beloved Brussels sprouts (or "Winter tomatoes" as we like to call them since we love them oh so much), so we try to start them indoors before planting out.

Other crops are planted so broadly by seed that a few going down the gullets of garden creatures isn't that bad.

Pacific Gold Mustard seeds germinating

On the whole, we'll sow our winter beds with a variety of cover and food crops - some sown directly into the soil and some started as transplants - with the intention of having some fresh food for the winter and healthy soil all around come spring.

Before planting anything, we remove the summer crops, dig in a 2" layer of finished compost and treat the bed with a dose of neem oil to smother overwintering pests and their eggs. 

Then we get down to the business of fall -

Pacific Gold Mustard - sown direct in raised beds for a winter food crop and spring green manure + pest control for next year's tomatoes
Buckwheat - sown direct in a raised bed for green manure and weed control
Fava beans - sown direct in a raised bed for green manure and nitrogen fixing
Brussels sprouts - transplants installed in one half of a raised bed  for a late fall for winter food crop
Dill - sown direct in a raised bed between Brussels sprouts for a winter food crop and to repel pests from the Brussels sprouts
Garlic - sown from seed in one half of a raised bed for a 2013 summer crop and to repel pests and improve the flavor of Brussels sprouts

We still have summer crops saying their final goodbyes in a few spots, but once the temps drop consistently below 70 degrees, they'll come out and the remaining cool season plants will go in. 

Thus completing another summer season and starting a fall and winter season anew.

Bam.