Sunn hemp cover crop
Summertime
And the livin’ is easy
Fish are jumpin’
And the hemp is high
(apologies to George Gershwin)
Hold on, bucko! Before you go jump in the van to load up — it’s sunn hemp — the non-smoking variety. No, CSA members will not have to eat it, either (Farmer Margie does love to grow lots of greens for us to eat, but this one is not for us.) Sunn hemp (crotolaria juncea) is grown as a cover crop on Bee Heaven Farm during the summer off season. It’s actually a legume that fixes nitrogen in the soil, suppresses nematodes and weeds, and provides organic matter for soil building.
Sunn hemp grows thick and straight and tall. When the wind blows, the hemp rustles and sighs and sounds like rain. Margie and I stepped into the moving green maze of swaying hemp plants, and headed across to the other side of the patch. The plants were almost above my head, and I lost sight of Margie within a short distance. The soil was thick and spongy with organic matter below my feet. When I emerged on the other side, I felt like I swam the full length of the field underwater.
Margie will mow the sunn hemp later this week. Then it will get disked and tilled under to add organic matter to the soil. The hemp will break down and feed the crops that will get planted next month. There’s a lot of prep work involved when you’re farming organically. Having good soil is the most important part. If you feed the soil, the soil will feed you.
Farmer Margie swimming in the sea of sunn hemp
Redland Rambles 
[…] crop didn’t take well), were about two feet taller than myself -check out the picture in Redland Rambles, and remember that was taken 3 weeks ago – it grew a good two feet since then. OK! Got that […]
How far do you have to dig there to reach the limerock and no more soil? I am guessing about 8-12 inches…
Thanks,
Adiel
Farmer Margie tells me that there’s only about 1/4 inch of soil above the lime rock. And even that is quite rocky.
Wow, I am by the Tropical Park area in Miami. I have about 6-8 inches of soil before I reach the limerock. I want to use a rear tine tiller instead of tilling by hand, hopefully I dont reach the limerock. I will set the tiller so it does not go in so deep. This is my first year planting. I am thinking of planting corn, okra, eggplant, watermelon and pumpkin. Let’s see how it goes. I will try to open up a blog soon. Does Farmer Margie give tours of the farm?
Thanks,
Adiel
Now is not a good time to start putting in your garden. Summer is rainy, hot and buggy. Growers start planting in fall. As for a farm tour you can contact Margie directly at office(at)pikarco.com with your request to visit, or chat with her at the Pinecrest Farmers Market on Sundays 9-2.