Buckwheat and Phacelia tancetifolia seedlings

As the summer growing season starts to wind down and we head into fall, its a good time to start thinking about what to do with all of that empty garden space during the winter. While some places are blessed with an extended growing season and winters that are mild enough to still plant a few cool weather crops, the rest of us must focus our hearts and dreams on Spring.

Some reasons you might want to consider planting a compost crop during the winter are-

• If you had your garden planted with heavy feeding plants as your last crop. like corn, leafy greens, and tomatoes. These are just a few examples.
• If you have a piece of land that you want to reclaim from the lawn or weeds.
• If you are planning on planting a heavy feeding crop the following spring.
• If you want to grow your own compost instead of relying on store bought compost which can be full of chemicals or are from single source industries like sawdust, mushroom farms, or the coffee industry which will not provide a wide array of nutrients to your plants like multiple source compost will.

So what are the best compost crops to grow? In this post I just want to cover compost crops that grow as annuals. Perennial compost crops like alfalfa, certain clovers, vetches, and cardoon make good fodder crops if you have foraging animals, but most of us household gardeners just want to replenish the nutrients in our soil, so annuals are the best for this. Here’s a list of the top annual compost crops and what they have to offer-

• Agricultural Mustard- This plant is great for adding tilth and humus to your soil. It also suppresses weeds, soil diseases, and nematodes. It can be hand broadcast and harvested for compost after it flowers.
• Fava Beans- There are several varieties of this plant that can be grown to suit the needs of your climate. It improves soil texture, adds nitrogen to the soil and you can eat the beans! These are best planted with a soil innoculant specified for fava beans.
• Clover- This plant can be a perennial or annual so check your seed packet before you plant. Crimson clover is an annual that will look lovely while it grows and will help to replace nitrogen in your soil, as well as preventing erosion from winter storms. Make sure to check whether it is a winter or summer compost crop in your zone. Some types of clover tolerate cold better than others.
• Lupine- This beautiful wildflower will tolerate poor rocky soil and fixes nitrogen into the soil. This is one of the best cover crops to plant if you are planning on using your bed for heavy feeders in the spring.
• Phacelia tanacetifolia- This fragrant lavender flower is very quick growing and will crowd out weeds, help soil structure, and supress nematodes. It also attracts beneficial insects like bees and other pollinators and is a great compost plant.
• Fodder Radish- This root crop is edible and helps to break up clay soil. Another benefit is that it produces a lot of compost material.
• Buckwheat- This plant attracts bees and is considered a “nurse” plant for seedlings. You can plant buckwheat any time of the year, even arount the outsides of your vegetable garden once it’s planted. Buckwheat produces an edible grain and makes great compost.

These are just a few of my favorite compost crops. For more information on the cover crops that will work in your zone, contact your local Agriculture extension. Another good resource for information and seeds is Bountiful Gardens, http://www.bountifulgardens.org/

Make the most of your winder organic garden by planting a compost crop!

Buckwheat seedlings up close

Kimbrah Gonzalez loves to garden at home with her boys and luckily her husband indulges her and even helps with the watering more often than not. Come visit my blog! http://felicitas.lifewithchrist.org