Garlic Field Update OCT2021 

We use oats as a “nurse” crop going into winter (seeded 1st week of Sept) with hairy Vetch, medium red clover and Austrian winter peas for our long term cover plantings. Oats and peas will winter kill in our location (Northern Vt Zone 3b). Having grown for many years in SE PA Zone 6b Oats would not consistently winter kill so little concerned if you have a mild winter you could have similar issues. You might want to consider buckwheat prior to planting, which will mine for phosphorus which is highly beneficial for garlic. Also mustard cover incorporated a few weeks prior to planting will act as a biofumigant to help with wire worms, nematodes and other nasties.

Hi David, you are correct in that your oats will all winter kill. I use rye and buckwheat as cover crops. I work both in before they are pollinated and you probably should consider that in the future. Now fall rye is another story. It of course is like garlic and has to be vernalized to make a crop the following year. So if you work it down in the spring after you have planted it it will try and grow. If you have it come back into a crop you are trying to grow what you have is a mess. I grow rye because it is very hard for weeds to grow in it and produces massive amounts of straw in these parts. I keep a close eye on it and work it in before it pollinates. Your soil is looking very good. Are you considering using plastic as a mulch? Good luck.