Dear Curiosity Journal,
Rufus and I work on bringing the greenhouses back from their winter break, moving compost, cutting back overwintered onions, and removing the quack grass which is always creeping in around the edges. Last week, I learned that a buckwheat cover crop will displace quack grass. If you take a field out of production for one year and plant a double crop of buckwheat, the quack grass will pack its bags because it prefers tight soil, and the buckwheat causes a looser tilth. You may need to continue cover cropping every other season depending on soil conditions. Adding calcium can help with loosening soil as well. Harriet Behar recommended the book, “Manage Weeds on Your Farm: A Guide to Ecological Strategies”, a reference book compiled by SARE, which I plan to pick up at the Marbleseed conference this week. It’s fascinating how there is an ecological answer for every plant. We just need to dig deeper into our toolkit than a broad-spectrum herbicide. A commitment to organic production compels us to ask questions of the soil, to study the science, to seek a deeper understanding, discover a better solution, and respect the ancient interconnection of minerals, microorganisms, and plants.
~Joy
