Pensacola News Journal

For: Saturday, August 10, 2002

By: Daniel E. Mullins

Extension Horticulture Agent

Santa Rosa County

Millet, a Good Summer Cover Crop

No immediate plans for the old tomato patch or other annual beds that are finished? Protect and improve the soil with a summer cover crop. By definition this is a planting that protects the soil from erosion and compaction. A properly selected, established and maintained cover crop does that and much more.

Choosing a good cover crop for the Gulf Coast involves some special considerations. First, it must establish and grow fast because we normally receive heavy rains during the summer that can wash away topsoil as well as compact what is left.

It must be manageable. When you are ready to plant some fall vegetables or cool season flowers you don’t want a cover crop that becomes a weed, competing with what you are trying to grow. You should be able to mow it down and plant, allowing the clippings to act as mulch. Or, it should be easily tilled into the soil.

Nematode control is another major consideration, and the choice of a cover crop can potentially increase or decrease the number of these plant parasites in your soil.

Legumes, such as peas, vetch and other typical cover crops are not recommended for use on sandy, coastal sites. Most tend to act as hosts for root-knot nematodes under our conditions. Instead, the “small grains” are recommended. These include oats, wheat, rye and ryegrass. These are however, cool season crops in our region. They are planted in the fall rather than during the summer.

Millet is a small grain that fills the bill when there is a need for a summer cover crop. It is quick to germinate and grow when there is adequate moisture and warm soil temperatures. The growth rate is fast also. It will reach a mature height during the summer within about 6 weeks.

Once it matures, millet turns brown and can be left standing or mowed down for a second planting. This can be repeated until soil and air temperatures begin cooling down in the fall.

A good stand of millet protects the soil surface from the impact of hard rains, while the fibrous root system protects the soil from erosion. Organic matter will also be added to the soil as old roots and tops are decomposed later.

Two species of millet are used as summer cover crops locally and seed should be relatively easy to obtain. Brown top is most often used. It grows to a maximum height of about 2 feet and produces many small seed that birds love.

Pearl millet grows taller and produces a seed stalk that is 3 to 4 feet in height. The seed head is very distinctive, being several inches long and about 1 inch wide.

The millets are being used liberally this summer to temporarily stabilize some road construction sites. Check the roadsides in these areas through September and you can see plenty of millet growing.

Establishing Millet

■ Till the soil well and rake to prepare a fine seed bed.

■ Broadcast seed uniformly at a rate of 1 pound per 1,000 square feet of

area.

■ Rake again to cover most of the seed with one-fourth inch of soil.

■ Keep the seed bed moist to a depth of 2 to 3 inches until germination

occurs.

■ Lightly fertilize with a complete fertilizer when plants are 2 to 3 inches

tall.

Question of the Week: Is it too late to plant tomatoes?

Answer: It is possible to grow fall tomatoes if plants are established in late July or early August. Be aware that pest pressure will be greater at this time of year. Protect plants from blights by using an approved tomato fungicide and watch for and control insects such as aphids, mites and caterpillars.