Grow something good over bare soil and the whole garden benefits. Here's why cover crops are worth their weight.
Created by jflgardens.co.uk
Leaving ground bare over winter lets nutrients wash away and weeds take hold. Cover crops — green manures — hold the soil together, fix goodness and bulk up the bed for free. It's one of the simplest wins in an organic garden.
A cover crop grows quickly over bare ground, protecting the soil from erosion and heavy rain, smothering weeds and trapping nutrients that would otherwise drain away. Certain crops like clover and vetch also pull nitrogen from the air into the soil.
Winter-hardy options like winter rye, field beans, phacelia and crimson clover suit most beds, while a quick-growing green manure can slot in between crops in summer. Choose one that fits your soil and how soon you need the bed back.
Scatter the seed over cleared, firm soil in late summer or early autumn, rake it in lightly and keep it moist until germination. Within weeks you'll have a green carpet protecting the bed through winter.
In late winter or early spring, cut the crop down and dig the green growth into the top of the soil. As it rots it feeds worms and enriches the bed naturally, leaving the ground beautifully ready for spring planting.
From seasonal garden care to a full seasonal-style overhaul, the JFL Gardens team works across Surrey and London.
