Save 10% on Selected Season Extension Supplies

Protect your crops and extend your season early in the spring and late in the fall. Season extension methods allow you to not only extend your season, but increase your yield. 

Planting Riddles from over the Years

     Let’s face it. Some old wives’ tales are something to roll your eyes at. If you cross your eyes, they’ll get stuck that way. Or the numerous omens of death, like a bird or moth or bat in the house. Then the infamous step on a crack and break your mother’s back.

     Those old wives might have known a thing or two when it came to gardening. Years of experience provided them with countless tips and tricks for ease, efficiency, and success. After all, their livelihoods depended on the prosperity of their gardens. Their advice often was based around planning for holidays, such as the Fourth of July.

     Plant so you’ll have peas for the Fourth. Peas are a cool weather crop. Depending on the days to maturity of the variety, if you have harvestable peas by late June you would have sown them in late April. This is a time when the soil is cool in many areas. Especially here in Maine, where some years we still receive snow in late April. Planting your peas when the soil is warm will result in lower yields.

     Your corn should be knee high by the Fourth. Of course, there’s a reason they’re called old wives’ tales. Even if there was once some truth in them, it might now be dated to think that your corn will only be knee high. Treated seed and cold-tolerant varieties allow for earlier plantings, especially in ideal conditions

    Whether or not you put any stock in them, these tales represent something that is important on any farm: the sharing of knowledge from one generation to the next.

Enter To Win A Weeding Tools Prize Pack

Enter to win!

Spring is finally here- and so are the weeds. Fight back with some of our fast, efficient, back-saving weeding tools.

We’re giving away an exclusive Weeding Prize Package, including a Standard Collinear Hoe, Trapezoid Hoe, Wire Weeder, set of (3) Tubtrugs and a Johnny's gift certificate!

As an added bonus:

Every person who “shares” this Facebook status will ALSO be entered to win a 2nd prize - a Stirrup Hoe!

Simply sign up for our emails:

To enter to win the prize package, simply sign up to receive our emails here. Already actively receiving Johnny’s emails? Then you’re already entered! Don’t forget to “share” our Facebook status here to be considered for the Stirrup Hoe as well!

We will draw winners for both prizes on Monday, June 16th. Good luck!

Explore Our Fast-Growing, Diverse Greens

Johnny's is pleased to offer greens from all corners of the globe.

 

All of our greens varieties can be grown to full size and many can be harvested at the baby leaf stage for salad mixes where they add wonderful flavors, textures, and colors.

 

Create your own custom mixes or try one of our popular, easy to grow pre-mixed selections.

  

Johnny’s Visits Hawaii

Johnny’s Commercial Sales Representative, Lainie Kertesz, recently traveled to Hawaii to visit commercial farmers and farmers markets on the islands. She documented her travels, which we turned into a three-part Blog series. Below is part one of this series:

Oahu, Hawaii

I recently spent two weeks visiting several of the Hawaiian islands, and more miles in a car than I thought possible. 

A little background on growing in Hawaii: 

· Even with a twelve-month growing season, I was surprised to learn that Hawaii imports 85% of its produce (The University of HI plans to conduct a new survey around this import figure).

· Much of the produce grown, primarily lettuce and greens, is sold to the resorts for fancy salads for tourists. Here at Johnny’s, 10% of our total lettuce sales are to Hawaii.

· Some crops are not cost-effective to grow in Hawaii, or are difficult to produce, such as field-grown fruiting crops like tomatoes and peppers, due to insect and disease pressures. 

· There is a mounting interest in growing Hydroponically and Aquaponically for more controlled growing conditions.

My first stop in Hawaii: Oahu: MA’O Organics 

MA'O Organics’ motto is "no panic, go Organic". MA'O's mission is to empower young people to become leaders and to make their island home a more food-secure place to live. The organization is in its 10th year of offering Youth and Leadership training internships for 17-24 yr-old Hawaiians who are pursuing Agricultural Studies.  Beginning with a two-year Youth Leadership Training, interns can go on to a second two-yr Step Up Training.  After completion, Graduated interns can choose to go on to admin work, or to become co-managers and managers at the farm. The diverse produce raised on the 23-acre farm is distributed through a local CSA as well as to markets such as Whole Foods and Foodland in and around Oahu.

Oahu, Hawaii

Stay tuned for part two of Lainie's Hawaii Blog series- coming soon!

Salanova Lettuce®

      

      

          

                                

           

              

An Introduction to Flower Sprouts™

Kaleidoscope Mix (F1)

What are Flower Sprouts™?

Flower Sprouts™ are the result of a cross between kale and Brussels sprouts. The resulting plants produce beautiful, open, florets that have a mild kale-like flavor which only improves with the colder days of the fall.  

When do you plant them?

You may ask why we are talking about a fall vegetable well before spring. Well, when growing Flower Sprouts™ patience is definitely a virtue. This crop requires at least 110 days to maturity from time of transplanting. So the total time to produce this crop from seed to edible floret is close to 22 weeks… that’s why we’re talking about Flower Sprouts™ in February!

What’s the best way to grow them?

In order to produce the sweet kale-like florets, attention to detail and, as previously stated, patience is required. Flower Sprouts™ are grown in a similar fashion as Brussels sprouts; provide a very fertile, well-drained soil, with a pH range of 6.0-7.5.

The seedlings should be started early enough to be ready to be set out in mid to late spring. Growers should provide sufficient irrigation throughout the growing season to help produce tall, strong plants. The sprouts should begin to form by early fall and be ready to harvest starting in mid to late fall.

Like other crops in the Brassica family, such as broccoli and cabbage, the flavor of Flower Sprouts™ will become sweeter and milder when the weather cools in the fall. Flower Sprouts™ are very cold hardy, similar to Brussels sprouts and kale. If you grow in a short-season area, be sure to top the plants about 4-5 weeks prior to the intended harvest season. The tops can be sold and used just like kale.

Red Russian Kale (OG)

How can they be prepared?

Flower Sprouts™ are suited to diverse cooking methods such as lightly steaming, sautéing, stir frying, and roasting. When lightly cooked they will hold their color. The tender, mildly flavored spouts have a taste and texture similar to Red Russian Kale.

When growing Flower Sprouts™ remember to be patient and enjoy! 

Warm Winter Greens Salad

Growing for the Greater Good

Our second Commercial Sales team blog comes from Ken Fine, Commercial Sales Rep for Massachusetts and the Northern Midwest. Here’s some background information on Ken:

Ken has worked with commercial growers at Johnny's Selected Seeds since 1999. Prior to coming to Johnny’s, Ken studied as an apprentice at the UCSC Farm and Garden Project in Santa Cruz, CA. He then operated a 3 acre Market Garden in coastal Maine, selling specialty lettuce and produce to area stores and restaurants. He likes to stay current with successful farming techniques, trends in consumer interest, and the best varieties of vegetables, herbs, and flowers available.

Current sales territory: Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.

For his blog topic, Ken has taken the opportunity to describe a few of the farm-based organizations that help foster constructive change in their local communities. These types of organizations can be found throughout the U.S, creating sustainable alternatives in our food system and helping people - especially young people - be inspired and experience personal growth by growing food.

THE FOOD PROJECT- MASSACHUSETTS

Recently I received news of the year-end harvest dinner at one of Johnny’s long-term customers. The Food Project in Massachusetts celebrates the achievements of the staff and volunteers at the many Food Project facilities in Lincoln, Dorchester, Beverly, and elsewhere. At the 2nd Annual Gala - Celebrate the Harvest event, the organization featured guest Will Allen of Growing Power.  According to the Food Project website, their mission is to “grow a thoughtful and productive community of youth and adults from diverse backgrounds who work together to build a sustainable food system. We produce healthy food for residents of the city and suburbs and provide youth leadership opportunities...”

MOUNT VIEW FARM:

Sometimes, one farm can make a huge impact. Founded by Michael Docter as Food Bank Farm in Hadley, MA, the good work of growing food for the benefit of the community has continued into the next generations there. Apprentices from Food Bank Farm have gone on to start their own CSA programs serving thousands of subscribers in Massachusetts. One apprentice, Benjamin Perrault of Mount View Farm in Easthampton has carried on another tradition. His bustling farm still plants a portion of their acreage specifically to produce first quality vegetables for The Food Bank of Western Mass.

According to their website: “Mountain View Farm leases a large parcel of land owned by The Food Bank and, in exchange, we provide 100,000 pounds of fresh, local, chemical-free produce to The Food Bank for distribution to front-line food assistance providers and people in need throughout our region. In Berkshire, Franklin, Hampden, and Hampshire Counties in Western Massachusetts, approximately one in every ten people suffers from chronic food shortages or needs emergency food assistance.”

Mount View Farm in Massachusetts

 

GROWING POWER - WISCONSIN

At Growing Power, based in Milwaukee, WI, founder Will Allen does more than make inspirational keynote speeches. The many facilities powered by staff and volunteers of all ages and backgrounds are growing tremendous quantities of quality farm produce that goes directly to the people of urban Milwaukee who need it most. In fact, one of the missions of Growing Power is to alleviate the perils of living in a “Food Desert” that traps so many urban residents. 

Established in 1993, Growing Power has offered agricultural-based training, hands-on experience to community members, and spread their mission that you “cannot have healthy communities without a healthy food system.”

 

Growing Power High Tunnel full of Greens

                              

DETROIT, MICHIGAN-BASED ORGANIZATIONS

Another rapidly expanding healthy food movement location is Detroit, Michigan. There, staff and volunteers of Greening of Detroit, Earthworks Farm, and countless other small community projects are utilizing available land within the city to make a difference. Healthy food and healthy lifestyle choices are becoming available to thousands in the community who are eagerly embracing the delights of farming and gardening.

To learn more about any of these organizations or to locate one near where you live, follow these links or get in touch with me for more information.

• The Food Project
• Mount View Farm
• Growing Power
• Greening of Detroit
• Earthworks Farm

To contact Ken, you can reach him via email at: kfine@johnnyseeds.com, or Toll-Free at: 877-564-6697, ext. 5307.

Otherwise, for general inquiries about Johnny's Commercial Sales, email service@johnnyseeds.com and we will get back to you shortly, or visit our Territory Sales Representatives page at Johnnyseeds.com.   

The Time to Comment Is Now | Food Safety Modernization Act

Dear friends and customers, On behalf of Johnny's Selected Seeds, we invite you to join us in sharing your opinion with the FDA regarding new Produce Food Safety Rules and the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA).

We recognize that most of you will be touched by the proposed changes, in some cases dramatically. While the day-to-day demands of farming may keep us running from sun-up to sundown, when it comes to legislation that places the very livelihoods of many farmers across our country in jeopardy, it's time to express your well-earned opinions.

To learn more about the rules and leave your comments, visit Regulations.gov. To date, the grower's voice is underrepresented. With your input, the FDA will get the "real dirt" as to just how the specifics of this proposed legislation -- constituting the largest food safety overhaul in more than 70 years -- could impact your farming operations.

We encourage you to speak up now -- the FDA's comment period closes November 15th!

By taking the time to participate in the discussion now, you can make a real difference in the long run. And again, thank you for choosing Johnny's as your source for seeds and more -- we look forward to serving you for many years to come.


Johnny's Selected Seeds
TOLL-FREE: 800-854-2580
FAX: 1-207-238-5388

Preferred Tools for Lettuce Production

Did you know we have a chart that allows you to select tools expressly designed for specific lettuce production practices? Gain efficiency and optimal results in lettuce culture, from sowing to harvest.

You can click on the lettuce types and tool names/images to browse options by cultural stage and practice >>>

Below is a peak at what the Baby Leaf Lettuce section of the chart looks like:

To see the entire chart, which includes Head Lettuce (Transplanted), Head Lettuce (Direct-seeded), Salanova® Lettuce (Transplanted) and Salanova® Lettuce (Direct-seeded), head to Johnnyseeds.com >>>

View all of our current Lettuce offerings >>>
 

 

Interested in learning more about the Quick Cut Greens Harvester? Below are a few facts about this tool:

• One person can easily cut over 175 lb. per hour.
• Powered by a cordless drill, the harvester's 15" fixed and moving serrated blades make a smooth, clean cut.
• A rolling macramé brush pulls individual leaves into the blades and then throws them to the back of the basket.
• The neat, clean surface it leaves behind is perfect for those planning on a second harvest from the same bed.
• Vertically adjustable skids ensure precise, repeatable cutting height. The harvester is just as effective when the crop is more mature or "leggy."
• Comes with an extra serpentine belt to power the brush and has a universal mount which will accept almost any cordless drill; 18V drills work best (not included).

The Return on Investment for Greenhouse Cucumbers

Here at Johnny's, we are often asked about the return on investment (ROI) for greenhouse crops. Seed for greenhouse varieties is typically priced higher than seed for field-grown varieties, and in this case we believe you get what you pay for. The breeding and development of protected-culture varieties is more specialized and involved, and the return should be sufficient to justify the extra investment required on the part of the breeder as well as the grower.

If what you really want to know is, Why so much more money for this greenhouse variety?, Andrew Mefferd, former Product Technician for cucumbers here at and a seasoned greenhouse grower himself, has some answers for you.


'Excelsior' Cucumbers



Higher Yields

• Bottom line, ROI and profitability will typically be higher for greenhouse cucumbers than field-grown cucumbers. One key reason is because yields from greenhouse cucumbers are higher as a result of the optimized growing environment. In particular, it’s warmer, so plants grow in their optimal temperature range more of the time or even all of the time.
• If you harvest just one more pound of cucumbers from a greenhouse variety than you would from a field variety, the seed will have paid for itself. Because you can ask a higher price for greenhouse crops at market, selling even just one extra fruit can sometimes cover the cost of the seed investment.
• Greenhouse varieties are higher yielding because they are selected for the specific environmental conditions within greenhouses and hoophouses. They are, for example, selected for resistance to diseases that can be problematic in protected culture. This allows them to stay healthier and produce over a longer period of time within that environment.

Greater Control of the Environment

• Within the greenhouse environment, plants are provided not just more optimal temperatures but also optimal water through irrigation, rather than being reliant on rainfall, which can set plants back when there is too much or not enough.
• Pests can be minimized in the greenhouse with the use of preventive measures such as insect screening and trellising. Ground insects or slugs that might feed on field cucumbers will not typically crawl up a plant to feed on fruits that are elevated off the ground. When you have fewer plants damaged by pests, you’re left with more marketable crops to sell.
• It’s important to note that greenhouse varieties often have better flavor because produce from a sickly plant that is inadequately photosynthesizing is just not likely to taste as good as produce from a healthy, greenhouse-grown plant.

'Socrates' Cucumber



Higher-Quality, More Diverse, Premium Product

• A greater range of cucumber varieties can be grown indoors than outdoors. These include long, European types and more of the seedless, thin-skinned types. One key reason for this is because they’re protected from bugs indoors, which is especially important for seedless, thin-skinned types, which are more susceptible to pests due to their thin skin.

Crop Cycle Time

• Greenhouse cucumbers are relatively quick to start bearing. Some early varieties can start yielding fruit as early as 45 days after being transplanted.
• As noted above, cucumber plants also live much longer in the greenhouse than in the field. A field-grown crop might bear for one month before the plants get tired out, and disease and pests take over, whereas it is more typical for greenhouse cucumber crops to last several months.

Other Considerations

• For greenhouse growers at high latitudes (like those of us here in Maine), it’s important to note that it can be very challenging to grow cucumbers through the winter — but it can be done. They require a lot of heat and also require supplemental lighting. Even without lights, however, your cucumber season can be extended well beyond the beginning and the end of the typical field cucumber season.
• Lastly, it is important to research which varieties your market wants most. If what your markets demand are slicers or slender, Japanese cucumbers, be sure to grow those, rather than focusing efforts on picklers or the long, European types. Time spent researching your market will pay off, when it comes to bottom-line ROI.

We hope this helps you evaluate the potential return on investment for greenhouse cukes. For additional information, visit Johnny’s website: 

• Greenhouse Growing Basics »
• How We Trial & Select Our Protected-Cultured Varieties »
• Greenhouse Cucumber Production Guide (Tech Sheet PDF) »
• Cucumber Pruning Video »
• Browse All Our Greenhouse Cucumbers »

Leave us a comment — we are interested in your questions and comments about growing greenhouse cucumbers!

A Word From Johnny's International Sales Department

Johnny's knowledgeable commercial sales team offers region-specific, year-round support to commercial customers. Our territory representatives offer information, resources, and assistance with:

Carmen Pepper

• Crop Planning

• Variety Selection
• Trend Awareness
• Regional Expertise

 We turned to our commercial sales team to offer their insight and expertise on the Blog. Our first commercial sales team post comes from Johnny’s International Sales Representative, Anthony Stevenson. Here’s a little background information on Anthony:

Anthony joined Johnny's International Sales Department in 2007. Anthony holds a Masters in Business Administration and is fluent in Spanish. He is the Territory Sales Representative for all countries excluding the United States and Canada. Anthony works to ensure his customers' success from garden to market by staying up-to-date with gardening techniques, culinary trends, and technical growing knowledge. Every spring he looks forward to starting his own garden — something he has done nearly every year since childhood.

Below, Anthony speaks to the various uses of Peppers throughout his sales territory:

A seed is only the beginning.  Tastes evolve, preferences change, and vegetables can have “a moment.”  In the fall, gardens are anticipated.  In the winter, they get planned.  In the spring, they are prepped and two, even three seasons of enjoyable labor yield a harvest that brings pride and a sense of accomplishment.  But in the beginning, all you have is the seed. 

Johnny’s has always been proud to supply our customers with seeds from our own award-winning breeding program.  My favorite vegetable is the pepper, and Johnny’s has bred many unique and delicious varieties.

Peppers are a very regional crop.  For example, what is grown in the American southwest and in northern Mexico is incredibly different from what is grown in Southeast Asia.  The good thing is that both types are fantastic and their differences should be embraced.

Italian corno di toro types like Carmen are sweet and can be eaten right off the vine or lightly fried or roasted.  Anaheim chilies like Highlander are used in the wonderful Mexican dish, Chiles Rellenos.  Serranos and Cayenne chilies like Red Flame bring a tolerable amount of heat to a dish.  But peppers don’t have to be eaten fresh.  A dried Poblano is an Ancho.  A dried Jalapeno is a Chipotle.  They can be dried and then pulverized or they can be pickled.  Peppers are diverse; with a myriad of different uses.

Gardening should be fun.  Go out and get some pepper seeds and have fun with them.  You won’t be disappointed.

Highlander Pepper

To contact Anthony, you can reach him via email at: astevenson@johnnyseeds.com, or Toll-Free at: 877-564-6697, ext. 5310.

Otherwise, for general inquiries about Johnny's Commercial Sales, email service@johnnyseeds.com and we will get back to you shortly.

The Advantages of Cover Crops

By Lynn Byczynski

Cover crops are an essential component of every sustainable farm. They are an investment in your gardens and fields that will pay future dividends of healthier, more productive cash crops. The benefits of cover cropping are numerous and impressive:

• Cover crops increase soil fertility. Annual legumes such as soybeans and cowpeas can be grown in rotation over several years in vegetable fields. Perennial legumes such as clovers can be maintained for several years on fields that aren't needed for cash crops. Legumes fix nitrogen while they're growing, and add organic matter when incorporated into the soil.

•Cover crops prevent soil erosion in winter by keeping the soil covered. A mixture of oats and winter rye, for example, can be planted in fall. The oats will be killed by cold weather, but their root systems will hold the soil in place. Winter rye will form small plants that will grow rapidly in early spring, to be mowed and tilled in before planting the field the following summer.

•Cover crops prevent weeds from flourishing on bare soil, in which case they are known as "smother crops". Fast-growing annuals such as buckwheat or soybeans can be planted after a crop is harvested to outcompete weeds. They also can be underseeded with taller cash crops or between rows to cover the soil and prevent weed growth.

•Cover crops can be planted as a "catch crop" after a vegetable crop is harvested to use nutrients that might otherwise leach into groundwater.

•Cover crops improve soil tilth. Besides adding organic matter when tilled in, the roots of actively growing cover crops loosen and aerate soil. Deep-rooted cover crops such as sweet clover will help break up hardpan layers several feet deep. Several cover crops can be grown to be cut for hay or straw, to feed livestock or mulch horticultural crops.

Shop by Farm Seed use at Johnnyseeds.com >>>

About the author:Lynn Byczynski was growing organic vegetables and cut flowers for market when she decided to create a magazine that would help market gardeners nationwide share experiences and information. Her first issue of Growing for Market appeared in January 1992 and it has been published continuously since then. GFM is renowned in the market gardening world for realistic articles that give growers practical, how-to information about growing and selling produce and flowers. Lynn is now partnering with Johnny's to provide similarly useful information for the johnnyseeds.com website and other publications.

Lynn is also the author of several books about market farming:The Flower Farmer: An Organic Grower's Guide to Raising and Selling Cut Flowers; The Hoophouse Handbook; Market Farming Success

What's New at the Farm? How to Choose the Correct Cover Crop

Trivia Question: Name this Cover Crop. (Answer Below)

This week I thought I'd spend some time on figuring out how to pick a cover crop or cover crops for your garden. I'm going to use my garden as an example. My garden is 75 feet wide and 150 feet long; about a quarter of an acre. It's a clay soil with poor drainage so I can't get it tilled early in the season. It was a pasture for many years after the landowner plowed it and decided it was too difficult to put into a good forage crop.  I don't think much ever grew there, at least not that I remember, other than cherry and pine trees and some goldenrod.  The soil was poor, to say the least, when I bought it.

When growing cover crops at home there are some things to consider before planting takes place.   Hopefully after you read this, you'll be better equipped to determine the best cover crop to use for your garden. There are many factors to take into consideration when choosing a cover crop:

• Purpose : Why do I want to plant a cover crop? Is it for soil protection only? Is it to add organic matter and smother weeds? Will I have animals grazing it? Or bees and beneficials pasturing? Is it to add nitrogen and bring minerals up from deep within the soil layers? Is it to rot sod, break compaction or improve drainage?
• Lifespan:  Annual, biennial or perennial? How long do we want the cover crop growing here? Is this a crop we want to protect the soil until next spring, or do we want to enrich the soil for an entire year or more before using it again? Should I seed a legume for nitrogen production?
• Seeding:  How much do I need to purchase and how am I going to seed this? Is it easily broadcast or should I be looking at something uniform in seed size?  With a mix will the different seed types spread together or will the mixed seed spread differently causing strips in the garden?  Should I seed one crop and then seed another one or can I mix them and seed at the same time? What's the most effective way to cover the seed with soil? Should I use a mix, and if so, what?
• Time span to seed: Spring, summer or fall? Will I have time to seed it so it will perform its best? Can I get on the ground early enough to get a good stand established before I get too busy with other planting projects.
• Maintenance:  What kind of maintenance will it need and how best to do it? Will it need mowing during its growing cycle? Can I let it do its own thing and do nothing between planting and incorporation? Will it out compete weeds, or will they present a problem later in the season? Will weeds grow in the canopy  out of sight and undisturbed for the season?
• Fertility requirements: Does this crop demand anything to insure a good stand? Like all garden crops you want to make sure you provide everything the cover crops needs to best suit the end result. You're taking a plot of land out of production for a period of time, so why not do everything to insure that time and money isn't wasted.
• Soil type:  The type of soil you have can determine the type of cover crop seed you use. For example, if you have packed clay you'll want to use a crop that sends out deep roots to break up and aerate the soil layers. Wet, clay soil is typically later than well-drained soil to prepare in the spring, so if you have an overwintering crop think about how much growth it's going to have the following spring while you're waiting to get into the garden. Will there be so much rampant growth to make incorporation a challenge? Well-drained, early soil means you can get a crop in early while the ground is still cool; a perfect time for clovers to become established.   
• Incorporation: How much crop residue will I have to turn under and what's the best way to do it? Can I mow it with a lawn mower (you'd be surprised what you can mow with a lawn mower), then turn it under with the equipment I have? A cover crop that adds a lot of organic matter, well, guess where the OM comes from  the plants parts that get tilled into the soil. Winter rye if not caught in time becomes a tall, rank and unruly mess and gets harder to kill and incorporate the longer it gets to grow. It can become a challenge even for us with all kinds of equipment at our disposal.

There are many, many things one should consider before buying cover crop seed. The many varieties we offer should cover the wide range of soil types, uses and ease of incorporation for most gardeners and farmers.  A simple checklist can be made to determine the best choice for a cover crop. Now, let's see.

My Garden:

• Size: 75' X 150'
• Square foot area:  11,250'
• Area for crops: 2,500'              
• Area to Cover crop:  8,750' (0.20 acres)
• Crop Year: 2012
• Purpose: Smother weeds and recycle nutrients, add organic matter and prevent erosion
• Lifespan: I plan on this ground being out of crop production for 1 year, so an annual will be fine. My garden spot is clay so I can't get in early to prepare the soil.
• Time to seed: I'd like to clean out my henhouses prior to seeding a cover crop so I'm thinking I should be done by the first of May.
• Fertility requirements: With the manure I apply each year, I'll need a crop that will use the nutrients supplied without adding anything. 
• Maintenance: I really don't want to have to do much after I plant it. Maybe mow it once if needed.
• Crop decision: Based on all these questions I have decided to plant Sudangrass (answer to trivia question above).

Here's why:
Sudangrass needs warm soil temps to germinate and grow; mid-May is when to plant and I'll have the manure applied and the ground tilled by then. Sudan grass will grow in fertile ground like my garden and very little if anything including weeds will grow in the understory.  Mowing  I can bush hog it in August when I do the annual bush hogging of my fields. It will winterkill so I needn't be concerned about regrowth next spring and I can till it under when I do my once a year rototilling. Sudangrass will protect the soil during the winter with its dead stalks and leaves, and hold the soil with its root systems.  It will provide shelter for small animals and birds during the winter, and hold some snow so we'll have ample moisture next spring.

How much seed to purchase: The suggested rate per acre is 30-40 pounds per acre. So let's say at 40 pounds per acre, and my garden spot to cover is 0.20 acres, the amount of seed I need is 8 pounds.  Planting a little thicker won't hurt but it will help shade out weeds better and it looks like I'll need 10 pounds of seed.  I'll get it sooner than later to make sure I have it when I'm ready to plant.

Figuring out which cover crop to plant takes some time and thought, but with minimal investment it will pay dividends by breaking disease cycles, adding organic matter and recycling nutrients.  I could go on and on about cover crops but I've rambled enough for today.

As always, any questions leave a comment below and I'll try to answer it and if I can't, I'll get you an answer.

Until next week, Brian