Refreshing the pumpkin patch

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The Coward Farm pumpkin field took on a distinctly bright green in December. Photo by Shirley Murtha

Just before the December holidays began, the pumpkin field at the Coward Farm on North Granby Road took on a radiant green color! Too soon to be planting pumpkins—what was going on there? A cover crop was growing to keep the soil good and healthy for next year’s pumpkin patch.

A cover crop is one grown between the main plantings. It controls erosion, reduces compaction and suppresses weeds. The Coward’s cover crop is made of radish and wheat. Radish plants’ long taproots create deep channels that make it easier for the roots of the subsequent crop (in this case, pumpkins) to reach the water below the soil. Once the cover crop plants have decayed and/or are harvested, the channels left by the taproots also improve the aeration of the soil. This allows for increased earthworm and microbial activity, resulting in a very healthy soil.

Radish plants in particular are known to benefit nearby water quality by taking up nitrogen in the form of nitrates from the soil. This means less run-off of the nasty nitrates into nearby streams, ponds, or lakes, so these radishes are doing their part to help keep the water as well as the soil healthy. A round of applause for the radishes is deserved.