weird question for "resting" my garden

tarheelchick · July 5, 2019

I have a very small vegetable garden (roughly 15' x 15') and each summer I plant tomatoes, cukes, peppers, etc. Over the winter, I have been planting an annual rye grass as a cover crop and then just mow it down in early spring. I do not till. I layer over with leave mulch and straw. My soil is in pretty good shape and I have lots of worms. Yay!

Here's my question. Next year, I will be traveling from about March through August and so I will not be planting my usual summer vegetables. My garden will be unused over the summer and I am wondering what the best way will be to keep it "covered" while not being used. I don't want to deal with weeds, erosion, and losing out on all the work I've put in getting such nice soil to this point. I know the rye grass will die out over the hot summer next year. Should I get my husband to layer some leaf mulch over the top during the heat of the summer? (he will still be home and will do that if I ask). Plant some other kind of cover crop to last over the summer? Leave it alone until I return?

Any advice is much appreciated!

July 5, 2019	#1
tarheelchick Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2015 Location: NC Posts: 97	weird question for "resting" my garden I have a very small vegetable garden (roughly 15' x 15') and each summer I plant tomatoes, cukes, peppers, etc. Over the winter, I have been planting an annual rye grass as a cover crop and then just mow it down in early spring. I do not till. I layer over with leave mulch and straw. My soil is in pretty good shape and I have lots of worms. Yay! Here's my question. Next year, I will be traveling from about March through August and so I will not be planting my usual summer vegetables. My garden will be unused over the summer and I am wondering what the best way will be to keep it "covered" while not being used. I don't want to deal with weeds, erosion, and losing out on all the work I've put in getting such nice soil to this point. I know the rye grass will die out over the hot summer next year. Should I get my husband to layer some leaf mulch over the top during the heat of the summer? (he will still be home and will do that if I ask). Plant some other kind of cover crop to last over the summer? Leave it alone until I return? Any advice is much appreciated!