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Are you planning to plant cover crops this year? Cover crops provide many benefits including increased soil quality, reduced erosion and compaction, weed suppression, and water infiltration. The resources below provide information on why to plant cover crops, what cover crops to choose, and when to plant them.
Resources
☘️VCE Benefits of cover crops:
www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/content/dam/pubs_ext_vt_edu/CSES/CSES-120/SPES-241.pdf
☘️VCE varieties of cover crop species:
www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/content/dam/pubs_ext_vt_edu/CSES/CSES-121/SPES-240.pdf
☘️Cover Crops for All Seasons:
www.sare.org/wp-content/uploads/Cover-crops-for-all-seasons.pdf
☘️Types of cover crops:
www.sare.org/publications/building-soils-for-better-crops/cover-crops-2/types-of-cover-crops/
Fall is a good time for invasive species control. Blue Ridge PRISM has great resources on identifying, understanding, and controlling invasive species in Virginia. Check out the resources below to learn more.
Resources:
🌿Guide on when and how to control different invasive species:
www.dof.virginia.gov/infopubs/_forestry-topics/FT0031_Nonnative-Invasive-Plant-Species-Control-Tr...
🌿Methods for controlling invasive species:
blueridgeprism.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/How-to-Control-Invasives-w-HERBICIDES-1-16-17-FINAL...
🌿Factsheets on how to control different invasive species:
blueridgeprism.org/factsheets/
🌿VCE methods for controlling invasive:
www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/content/dam/pubs_ext_vt_edu/420/420-320/CNRE-105.pdf
Late August through September is a good month to seed pastures with cool season grasses to get good growth before winter. It's recommended to wait 2 seasons before grazing newly seeded pastures to allow for root systems to develop.
Resources:
🌿Time to Start Prepping Your Pastures for Fall -
onpasture.com/2016/08/15/time-to-start-prepping-your-pastures-for-fall/
🌿Pasture Management: Understanding Plant and Root Growth in the Fall
extension.oregonstate.edu/crop-production/pastures-forages/pasture-management-understanding-plant...
🌿Improve Spring Pastures by Amending in Fall
extension.umd.edu/learn/improve-spring-pastures-amending-fall
Late summer/early fall is a good time to fertilize cool season grasses to boost fall forage production. Test your pasture soil first for fertilizing recommendations.
Check out these resources to learn more:
🌿Fertilizing Pasture in the Fall -
www.southernstates.com/farm-store/articles/fertilizing-pasture-in-the-fall#:~:text=According%20to...
🌿Pasture Fertilization -
file:///C:/Users/audrey.kirschner/Downloads/ILGM-FERTILITY_Pasture-Fertilization.pdf
🌿It’s Time to Stockpile Again -
vaforages.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/Its-Time-to-Stockpile-Again.pdf
Vote for your favorite photo from the 2020 VASWCD Photo Contest! There are some beautiful photos to decide between!