Cover Crops: A Blend of Science and Art…

We want farming practices that not only nurture our crops but also protect the land for future generations. One key practice we’ve adopted is the use of cover crops—a critical component in our regenerative farming approach. These crops play a vital role in enhancing soil health, reducing erosion, and safeguarding our watercourses and rivers.

What are Cover Crops?
Cover crops are essentially plants grown primarily to protect and improve the soil between main cropping seasons. At Lower Blakemere, we plant a variety of species, each chosen for its specific benefits to the land. Our mix includes:

• Legumes like clover and vetch: These fix nitrogen into the soil, which is a natural way to enrich the soil for future crops.
• Grasses such as rye and oats: They provide excellent ground cover, protecting the soil from erosion and improving its structure.
• Brassicas like radish and mustard: These plants have deep roots that help break up compacted soil, enhancing its ability to absorb water.

When and Why Do We Plant Cover Crops?
Our cover crops are usually sown in late summer or early autumn, after harvest of our main crops. The idea is to get the cover crops established before the winter sets in, allowing them to do their job of protecting the soil during the harshest months of the year.

There are several reasons we take this approach:
1.     Soil Protection: Without cover, bare soil is vulnerable to erosion by wind and rain, especially over winter. By keeping living roots in the soil, cover crops bind the soil particles together, reducing the risk of soil loss.
2.     Watercourse Protection: Runoff from fields can carry soil, nutrients, and chemicals into nearby rivers and streams, polluting watercourses. Cover crops help to reduce this runoff by improving water infiltration into the soil and slowing down surface water movement.
3.     Nutrient Cycling: Cover crops, especially legumes, play an important role in nutrient management. They trap nutrients like nitrogen, preventing them from leaching away during winter rains, and release them slowly back into the soil, ready for the next crop to utilise.

A Balance of Science and Art
Using cover crops is both a science and an art. The science lies in understanding the biology of the soil, the role of each plant, and how they interact with one another. For example, grasses like rye are excellent for improving soil structure, while radishes help break up compacted layers, allowing roots to penetrate deeper. By selecting the right mix, we can address the unique needs of each field on our farm.

The art is in knowing the land—the subtle variations in soil texture, moisture levels, the slope of a field and even the smell of the soil. It’s about trial and error, seeing what works best on a particular field, and adjusting the mix of cover crops as needed.