Planting a catch crop in your garden is an excellent way to protect and enrich the soil, while also providing you with a healthy harvest. But what exactly is a catch crop? A catch crop is any type of plant that can be grown quickly between harvests or after harvesting another crop. It is planted at the same time as other crops, but matures later, allowing it to fill in the gaps between harvests of other crops.
The very best catch crops for your vegetable plot
Catch crops are vegetables that soon come to maturity; they are grown on the vacant space between rows of other vegetables while the latter are small and are not using the space. Catch crops double the efficiency from the garden. In cooler climates, cloches are very useful for giving protection to plants in early spring; they soon pay for themselves.
The best and most convenient form of cloche is made by placing together two sheets of glass, in the shape of an inverted V, and fastening them securely with galvanized wire. It can be taken to pieces easily and stored when not in use during the summer. If cloches are placed over early lettuces and radishes, the vegetables will be ready to eat at least three weeks before their normal time.
Why Plant Catch Crops?
Catch crops have several advantages over other types of planting. For example, they make use of empty spaces in your garden and help prevent soil erosion by keeping bare soil covered. They also help protect your regular crops from weeds, pests, and diseases by competing with them for space and nutrients. Additionally, they add organic matter to the soil when they are incorporated into it after being harvested. This helps improve soil fertility, making it easier for future plants to be grown.
Types of Catch Crops
There are many different types of catch crops that can be used depending on your garden’s needs and requirements. Catch crops examples include radishes, which are fast-growing root vegetables that can be planted alongside slower-growing crops such as tomatoes; legumes such as peas or beans; grains such as oats or barley; and herbs such as dill or parsley. Each type provides its own unique benefits and should be chosen based on what you need from your garden.
Some gardeners set a pinch of lettuce seed, a pinch of radish seed, and a pinch of carrot seed under each cloche; the radishes are gathered first, then the lettuces and finally the carrots. The cloches are then used to accelerate the growth of the early peas and are afterwards transferred to the strawberry plants.
When Should You Plant Catch Crops?
The best time to plant a catch crop depends on what type of crop you are growing and how long it takes for that particular crop to mature. Generally speaking, most catch crops should be planted shortly before or shortly after the main crop is harvested so that there is always something growing in the garden throughout the season. This helps ensure that weeds don’t take over and also prevents soil erosion from occurring due to lack of cover on bare soil patches between harvests.
Catch crops provide many benefits for both experienced gardeners and novices alike. They help reduce weed growth by competing with them for resources while also providing essential nutrients to the soil through their decomposition once they have been harvested. Furthermore, they provide a great opportunity for experimentation since there are so many different types of catch crops available to choose from.
