Agropraxis Farm

Intercropping has become an integral part of my farm practices. Sowing legumes in rows of squashes or under corn achieves many goals. This time of year when warm weather crops emerge is time to sow. A few weeds are easily hoed and white clover is broadcast between plants. A light raking settles the seeds. Within a couple of weeks a vigorous mat of clover emerges. It helps suppress weeds, retain moisture, and enrich the soil with nitrogen, carbon, and root secretions, and attract beneficial insects. It can be tilled in at the end of the season or left as a living mulch. In winter squash and pumpkin rows last year white clover was spectacular in suppressing weeds. When harvest comes it is so much easier to work through  a row with low growing white clover than a tangle of lambsquarter, ragweed or pigweed. 

Other crops I prefer to mulch with spent hay or straw. Once solanums and brassicas are established I lay a moisture retaining, weed suppressing mulch. I prefer hay with its higher nutrient values. Straw works and rarely has weed seeds, but is more brown matter. On our sandy soils the mulch works to retain moisture and boost microbe activity at the soil surface. On the tomatoes it goes a long way to suppress soil splash on lower leaves. Quite a bit less disease occurs. As the mulch decomposes it needs to be thickened to maintain benefits. Every 6-8 weeks I add more mulch. Some farmers layer mulch on ultra thick. I suspect that thick mulch works too well and insulates the soil more than needed here.   

These cultural practices contribute to the soil food web, the source of fertility for our crop plants. Along with cover crops for fallow beds, they help prevent the void of barren soil that conventional farming is prone to. having something growing, gather light energy, and forming soil is integral to sustainable farming. These simple practices with low costs in money and time contribute immeasurable benefits to the farm. 

Farmer Pete