September marks several distinct changes. Kids go back to school, the leaves on trees turn yellow and orange, and your garden plants enter the final stages of their life cycle. There are still veggies working towards filling your fridge with a final smattering of broccoli, leafy greens, carrots, and radishes, but many summer plants are beginning to turn brown and crunchy in anticipation of fall.
When your garden is fully done for the season, what are you left with? A tangle of cucumber and tomato vines, corn stalks starting to crisp, tall (dead) lettuce that has long since gone to seed. The produce is gone, but so much plant material is left behind! This litter is known in the agricultural sector as plant residue, and is an incredible tool that can bring nutrients and organic matter back to your soil while reducing erosion and improving water retention.
What is Crop Residue?
Plants use nutrients throughout the growing season to grow strong stems, healthy roots, lush foliage, and of course, delicious produce! When it comes time to harvest, we typically only take the parts of the plant that we plan on eating, leaving most of the biomass your garden created. During fall cleanup, gardeners often pull this plant matter, put it in a paper bag, and leave it on the curb with their garbage. However, this plant matter still contains rich nutrients and organic matter which can be reincorporated into your soil. Rather than tossing it, use this material to make your soil healthier!
What are the Benefits?
Crop residue’s main benefit is the organic matter and nutrients it adds back to your soil, which impacts several key soil health factors. Plant residues create a protective layer that prevents erosion and nutrient washout, protecting garden beds from extreme weather. It can also tamp down weed development in the spring, making early garden preparation easier. Organic matter also provides both a residence and a food source for soil microbes, which will gradually break down your crop residue, incorporate organic matter, and make nutrients more readily available to your garden.
How to Use it?
Plant residue can be used in many ways, whether you prefer to leave it in the garden or clear it out to make the soil easier to work with.
If you remove crop residue to make your garden easier to work with, the best way to use it is to compost it! Whether you use a rotating composter or just want to build a compost pile, you can break down any plant residue into an easy-to-use soil amendment.
At Purple Cow Organics, we collect fallen leaves and dead plant matter from local gardeners and homeowners that don’t have compost piles or have too much material for their gardens. This material, which otherwise would have been dropped in the landfill, is turned into a rich organic compost that we use as the base for our Activated Compost, Potting Mix, and so much more!
For gardeners who want to leave the crop residue in their garden beds, you can use microbes to break down this plant material and incorporate it with the rest of your soil. An application of late-season compost is an easy way to both add organic matter to your garden, as well as refresh the microbes in your soil. For gardens with a lot of sand or clay, extra compost can condition your soil and supplies microbes to break down tough plant matter.
If you’re looking for an even easier way to break down plant residue, try our BIOACTIVE™ Liquid Biology Bundle! The Liquid Biology Bundle can be added directly to your watering can and watered over plants and plant material to help break it down.
You put so much time and energy into growing a beautiful garden, make the most of it by using your crop residue to grow a healthier garden. Contact our crop residue experts for tips on breaking down plant material and creating healthier soil!