Summer Solar
A diverse legume-forb cover crop mix of aggressively growing summer annuals, with possible dual use as a wildlife food plot. The mix includes four very different components—buckwheat, cowpeas, sunflower, and sunn hemp. These species work together to perform several functions during their brief growth period:
- Nitrogen fixation and recycling
- Organic phosphorus liberation and recycling
- Soil organic matter building/carbon sequestration
- Other nutrient cycling and soil health building
- Summer pollinator and beneficial insect attraction
- Summer weed smother crop
- Disease and nematode break crop
Planting Instructions
Due to the size of the seeds, it is recommended to drill this mix. Calibrate the drill for best results.
| Seeding rate | 35-60 lbs/A |
|---|---|
| Planting depth (in) | 0.5-0.75" |
| Soil Temperature | Late spring to early summer, when soil temp. is 65°F and rising, |
Testimonials
- Gurley, Alabama | 06/2021
We used this mix on a new area we were turning into a garden that was just grass before.
We tilled the area and formed beds and then planted some radish before this. Our compaction depth, we use a compaction reader, in this area was only 2". After our harvest we used this mix and let it grow to just flowering stage. We crimped it down and put a tarp over it for about 3 weeks. Raked the dried debris from the rows we had formed before seeding to use as mulch in aisles and the soil came out with a 6" depth before we hit compaction. Soil crumb was amazing after just one cropping. It also was beautiful while growing and visitors to our farm loved it.