Does planting timing of green mulches affect yield of garlic and labour?

Farmer: Eric Barnhorst

Farm: Eva Mae Farm

Region: East

Publish Date: February 6, 2018

Article Type: Research Project

Research Priorities: Cover Crops 

This project compared yield and labour for garlic planted into established oats, garlic and oats planted together, and garlic without a cover crop.

Key Findings

  • Garlic survival and proportion of medium garlic was highest when garlic was planted with oats or into bare soil (control); and lowest when garlic was planted into an established oat cover crop.
  • Garlic planted into an established cover crop required more planting labour and delayed emergence.
  • Delayed emergence, in turn, delayed weeding and allowed perennial species to establish.
  • Eric won’t use the oat treatments as tested again; but seeing the biomass of the early oat planting has motivated him to tweak the system to make it work.