Sun hemp is a perfect cover crop for building the quality of your soil. And soil is everything when it comes to the garden. Soil provides nutrients for plants to be absorbed via their roots and retains moisture for the plant. Well-aerated soil is important and can be achieved by adding compost to your soil. This allows air to exist within the soil. Plant roots and different microorganisms require oxygen for their metabolism, which they take from the soil air and thereby decrease the concentration of oxygen.
By growing sun hemp in the garden, I will create a layer of compost for decomposition in the soil. First, I’ll let it grow to several feet in height. Then, I’ll cut it back, allowing the sun hemp greens to die. After a week or two, we’ll disc them into the soil whereby the sun hemp will further decompose.
Earthworms are very important soil inhabitants. While not required for a soil to be healthy, they are an indicator of soil quality. The burrowing and ingestion of soil materials by earthworms helps to physically mix the soil, decompose plant materials, and cycle nutrients. The casts of earthworms can also improve soil structure by enhancing aggregation.
Adding new organic matter to soil every year (by spreading a thin layer of compost on top of grass) is one of the most effective ways to improve and build soil organic matter in the garden. Once the soil organic matter reaches sufficient levels, it can maintain steady supply of nutrients for plant growth and promote infiltration of water with its superior soil structure. This nutrient supply from the organic matter will save you the trouble of applying frequent applications of fertilizers. Sun hemp is my way this year!
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