I have a 5000 sf patch that is future orchard and field crops. It is flood irrigated residential property, probably once a lawn. It has been unmaintained for at least a year, but probably closer to five years. It was mostly dust with a few hearty weeds, and bermuda grass hanging on in protected locations. I wanted to put in a cover crop, but never got to it. Three weeks ago I let in some irrigation. Four or five days later I was sitting out back at sunrise and I noticed thousands of little, glowing red in the low angle light, sprouts. I thought they were amaranth so I let them be to harvest at about 6". They were not amaranth but a smaller plant which began flowering quickly. So every couple of days I chop they're tops off. I am happy with this because I am adding organic matter. The seeds would have sprouted anyway, so in essence I am pre-weeding as long as I get the flowers before they seed.Thoughts while whaking off the tops of weeds. These plants are using nitrogen to grow. I am trying to increase organic matter and nutrients in the soil. By whaking down the weeds I am adding organic matter, but using up some nitrogen. How is that different than any other non-legumous planned cover crop. So then building the organic matter in a soil is a nitrogen using practice. It would follw than, that first I build the organic content, than I get concerned about building up the nutrients. If I try to conserve nutrients while building the organic matter ir would slow down the process.Further, who am I to think that I could choose a better cover crop than the land can. As long as I control the invasiveness (if thats doable) I think I'll just let it grow what it wants, I'll water it , and even use some worm humus to encourage it. So there ya go, how stupid is that?
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