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Cover crop left to reseed?

 
Posts: 6
Location: Port Orchard, Wa Zone 8b
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Hello, last fall I seeded rye,vetch, and some clover. I'm trying to eradicate grass piece by pice in about 1/4 acre sections at a time. The overall goal is to convert 1.5 acres to either orchard or garden space/food forest. I'm wondering if I can let the current cover crop go to seed so that it continues to keep grasses and non desirables from germinating. Will it continue to inhabit the soil or will the non desirables come back easily? I will be planting large sections of blueberries and raspberries amongs other things and would appreciate ideas to cover crop between rows to further benefit the area and reduce the need mow/care for in between. Thanks in advance for your ideas and help.
 
pollinator
Posts: 3827
Location: Massachusetts, Zone:6/7 AHS:4 GDD:3000 Rainfall:48in even Soil:SandyLoam pH6 Flat
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Will they become the new hard to kill 'bad' grass. I would personally leave dutch white clover as a N-fixer, daikon radish, plants in the mint family and onion family.
 
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Location: Cache Valley, zone 4b, Irrigated, 9" rain in badlands.
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In my climate, rye only out-competes grass in the badlands, where the summers are very dry and there is no irrigation. And the local rye is a strain that grows 4 to 6 feet tall, so it can shade out many smaller grasses and forbes.

Around here, dutch white clover and grass are often found together in pastures and lawns. Red clover is more common in meadows.



 
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Location: Longbranch, WA Mild wet winter dry climate change now hot summer
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Hello Matthew Rogers. I have Qberry farm just south of you. I am concerned about what kind of undesirable grass you are talking about. If it is quack grass that spreads by roots then cultivation just breaks the roots into pieces and spreads it. I have vetch that regrows if I mow it after it has gone to seed. White clover regrows from the roots. I mow the grass for mulch for intensive gardens. I mow between Boysen berries and keep it mulched between the crowns. The quack grass will come up through the mulch. The roots will then be near the surface without other roots between them and can be raked out and burned. They will regrow even if they get dried out.
Below is the system I am using to prepare an area which I would eventualy like to use for blur berries. The paths for raspberries I mulch with the field mowing and cover with carpet. You are welcome to come see my operation. You can find it on Facebook/Qberry Farm
 
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