Tag: Cover crops

Many peas are beloved garden vegetables, but others serve as cover crops, raising the question: can humans eat winter peas? It is important to distinguish between edible winter peas, like the Austrian variety, and their toxic ornamental lookalikes to ensure safety.

Across North America and Europe, wild oats (Avena fatua) are a rampant weed species that can reduce crop yields by up to 80% if left uncontrolled. This invasive annual grass, closely related to cultivated oats, poses a significant threat to agricultural productivity and can outcompete desirable plants in home gardens and pastures. Understanding how to effectively manage, remove, and even utilize this resilient plant is key to mitigating its impact and restoring ecological balance.

Velvet beans, known scientifically as *Mucuna pruriens*, have been revered for millennia in traditional Ayurvedic medicine for their potent properties. So, what are velvet beans good for? This tropical legume offers a wide range of surprising benefits for both human health and agricultural sustainability.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), nitrogen is the most common limiting nutrient for crop production globally. This essential macronutrient fuels lush, green growth, but soil levels can deplete quickly. This guide provides actionable strategies for how can I increase nitrogen in your garden for healthier, more productive plants without relying solely on synthetic chemicals.

Buckwheat is known for its remarkable ability to improve soil health, but does buckwheat fix phosphorus like legumes fix nitrogen?. No, it is actually a renowned phosphorus “scavenger” or “pump,” actively working to mobilize and cycle nutrients that are otherwise locked away in the soil.