How soon can I plant...

peebee · February 27, 2016

I just turned over my cover crop last week. How soon can I plant in it? Last year, my first year cover cropping, I waited several weeks. But this year, our weather is wacky crazy warm, it feels like summer already and even tho my seedlings are still small I'd like to plant NOW.
Should I give my soil more time to "take in" the cover crops? Thanks!

Worth1 · February 27, 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by peebee

I just turned over my cover crop last week. How soon can I plant in it? Last year, my first year cover cropping, I waited several weeks. But this year, our weather is wacky crazy warm, it feels like summer already and even tho my seedlings are still small I'd like to plant NOW.
Should I give my soil more time to "take in" the cover crops? Thanks!

Check the soil temps first and see what they are.
I planted on top of some mixed in rotted leaves and when I did it was warm but not too warm.

Worth

peebee · February 27, 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by Worth1

Check the soil temps first and see what they are.
I planted on top of some mixed in rotted leaves and when I did it was warm but not too warm.

Worth

What should the temperature be, Worth?

dipchip2000 · February 27, 2016

Soil temps need to be around 60 degrees for optimum results. However planting sooner you will not see growth above ground but root systems will grow at lower temps.

ron

b54red · February 27, 2016

I think I would let the cover crop breakdown a bit more. Planting too soon behind adding anything that is decomposing heavily in the soil can result in the seedlings not having enough nitrogen. I sometimes have to plant too soon after adding something that needs to breakdown in the soil and have had some plants just yellow to the point of dying from it. I found a way to overcome that though. You can add a tiny amount of ammonium nitrate and till it in the top few inches and wet the soil down well and plant a day or two later with much better results. I am not a big believer in using ammonium nitrate as a regular fertilizer because it seems to really work on the worm population but when I have to set things out in a bed to which I have added a lot of alfalfa pellets I find it very helpful. I'm sure the same thing could be accomplished with a feeding of any quick release high nitrogen fertilizer but I just find this is pretty easy to do and cheap. It also has given my earthworm population no problems like when in the past I used much heavier applications of chemical fertilizers.

Bill

AlittleSalt · February 27, 2016

Peebee, I would let them grow out some. It never hurts to let a cover crop decompose some more. That is just my personal opinion.

zeuspaul · February 27, 2016

Early March can be a little risky. We can get cold storms in March. I will be planting a few plants starting tomorrow. Usually the early plants don't do as well as those planted in late March. However our weather is unpredictable so it is worth the risk as long as long as you save some for later.

Worth1 · February 27, 2016

When I asked about soil temps I meant how hot was it as in too hot.
I was thinking all of the green may be breaking down and causing too much heat.
I have no idea and no experience with it.
Worth

Gardeneer · February 27, 2016

You can get around the decomposition problem by digging a bigger hole. Put some non-affected soil at the bottom and around the plant, as if you are potting it into a bigger pot. It will take quite a while for the roots travel/grow out of it toward the tilled soil.

Gatdeneer

peebee · February 29, 2016

Thanks everyone for your thoughts. I didn't get around to planting this weekend so I will do so next weekend. I have plenty of seedlings to play around with, as once again I have far too many plants, not enough space (over 150 seedlings for 30 spots, plus maybe 5 pots).

Gotta start contacting friends and neighbors to take the rest.

Sun City Linda · March 2, 2016

Quote:

Originally Posted by peebee

I have plenty of seedlings to play around with, as once again I have far too many plants, not enough space (over 150 seedlings for 30 spots, plus maybe 5 pots).

Gotta start contacting friends and neighbors to take the rest.

Story of my life.

peebee · March 4, 2016

S.C.Linda, when do you start your plantings? I was all set for this weekend, now rain is forecast and cooler temps too. They are saying we might get a partial El Nino after all, though weaker as it is Spring now. Our Feb was the hottest on record.

PureHarvest · March 4, 2016

Nitrogen will not be tied up if you leave your cut cover laying on top like a mulch.
It is when you mix it into the soil that it becomes an issue.

Gardeneer · February 29, 2016

I usually end up having more than I can handle. Right now I have 3-4 sprouts of some that I can only grow one plant. So little by little I'll be culling them to keep 1 or 2 of each at the most.
Yeah ! I don't want to run around , asking people to come and take free plants.

Jonnyhat · March 2, 2016

I am in Zone 6B, and I am going to try and zone push this year with the help of a 1000w hps I found on craigs list. Does anyone have any tips regarding going from indoor to outdoor?

February 27, 2016	#1
peebee Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Southern CA Posts: 1,714	How soon can I plant... I just turned over my cover crop last week. How soon can I plant in it? Last year, my first year cover cropping, I waited several weeks. But this year, our weather is wacky crazy warm, it feels like summer already and even tho my seedlings are still small I'd like to plant NOW. Should I give my soil more time to "take in" the cover crops? Thanks!

February 27, 2016	#4
dipchip2000 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Muskogee, Oklahoma Posts: 664	Soil temps need to be around 60 degrees for optimum results. However planting sooner you will not see growth above ground but root systems will grow at lower temps. ron

February 27, 2016	#5
b54red Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Alabama Posts: 7,068	I think I would let the cover crop breakdown a bit more. Planting too soon behind adding anything that is decomposing heavily in the soil can result in the seedlings not having enough nitrogen. I sometimes have to plant too soon after adding something that needs to breakdown in the soil and have had some plants just yellow to the point of dying from it. I found a way to overcome that though. You can add a tiny amount of ammonium nitrate and till it in the top few inches and wet the soil down well and plant a day or two later with much better results. I am not a big believer in using ammonium nitrate as a regular fertilizer because it seems to really work on the worm population but when I have to set things out in a bed to which I have added a lot of alfalfa pellets I find it very helpful. I'm sure the same thing could be accomplished with a feeding of any quick release high nitrogen fertilizer but I just find this is pretty easy to do and cheap. It also has given my earthworm population no problems like when in the past I used much heavier applications of chemical fertilizers. Bill

February 27, 2016	#6
AlittleSalt BANNED FOR LIFE Join Date: May 2014 Posts: 13,333	Peebee, I would let them grow out some. It never hurts to let a cover crop decompose some more. That is just my personal opinion.

February 27, 2016	#7
zeuspaul Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2007 Location: North County, San Diego Posts: 419	Early March can be a little risky. We can get cold storms in March. I will be planting a few plants starting tomorrow. Usually the early plants don't do as well as those planted in late March. However our weather is unpredictable so it is worth the risk as long as long as you save some for later.

February 27, 2016	#8
Worth1 Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Den of Drunken Fools Posts: 38,539	When I asked about soil temps I meant how hot was it as in too hot. I was thinking all of the green may be breaking down and causing too much heat. I have no idea and no experience with it. Worth

February 27, 2016	#9
Gardeneer Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: NC - zone 8a - heat zone 7 Posts: 4,918	You can get around the decomposition problem by digging a bigger hole. Put some non-affected soil at the bottom and around the plant, as if you are potting it into a bigger pot. It will take quite a while for the roots travel/grow out of it toward the tilled soil. Gatdeneer

February 29, 2016	#10
peebee Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Southern CA Posts: 1,714	Thanks everyone for your thoughts. I didn't get around to planting this weekend so I will do so next weekend. I have plenty of seedlings to play around with, as once again I have far too many plants, not enough space (over 150 seedlings for 30 spots, plus maybe 5 pots). Gotta start contacting friends and neighbors to take the rest.

March 4, 2016	#12
peebee Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Southern CA Posts: 1,714	S.C.Linda, when do you start your plantings? I was all set for this weekend, now rain is forecast and cooler temps too. They are saying we might get a partial El Nino after all, though weaker as it is Spring now. Our Feb was the hottest on record.

March 4, 2016	#13
PureHarvest Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Mid-Atlantic right on the line of Zone 7a and 7b Posts: 1,369	Nitrogen will not be tied up if you leave your cut cover laying on top like a mulch. It is when you mix it into the soil that it becomes an issue.

March 2, 2016	#15
Jonnyhat Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2015 Location: Downingtown, PA Posts: 337	I am in Zone 6B, and I am going to try and zone push this year with the help of a 1000w hps I found on craigs list. Does anyone have any tips regarding going from indoor to outdoor?