Equinox, Balance, & Cover Crops

Equinox as a Time of Balance

Autumn equinox occurs at 7:30 MT on Tuesday September 22.  Day and night are equal at this moment as the earth jouneys around the sun. Traditionally it is a time to celebrate and be grateful for the harvest, but equinox is also about balance.

A successful garden is a study in balance. One of the most important aspects is the balancing act in the soil. Healthy soil has micro-organisms, decaying matter, insects, minerals, and moisture all in a beneficial ratio.

Cover Crops for Gardens

Cover crops are one way we gardeners can increase balance in the soil and garden. They add organic material, reduce weeds, prevent damage from the wind, and improve the quality and structure of the soil. Ideally, cover crops are cut and worked into the soil before they go to seed.  Grains and legumes are some of the most common cover crops and legumes (peas, beans, clover) provide the additional benefit of adding nitrogen to the soil.

This year a cover crop of pink buckwheat is happily blooming in the garden beds previously occupied by garlic and flax. I purchased the pink buckwheat from Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds because it looked so amazing in the catalog. It has not disappointed! The whole plant is lovely. The leaves are heart shaped with pink veins and the delicate pink flowers are fragrant. And it is a bonus to know they will be feeding the soil soon.

Some cover crops will die with the first frost and create a mulch for the garden, protecting it throughout the winter. Buckwheat is in this category. Other cover crops will live through the winter and be cut back in the spring. Fava beans and winter rye fall into this category and I will be planting them as more beds are harvested. Cover crops seem especially important in Denver where we don’t get the winter snow cover that my Pennsylvania garden had. The wind and sun can easily deplete the soil.

Cover Crops for Humans

Cover crops are about building resilience in the garden. They protect, feed, and nurture the soil. As we focus on the equinox and balance for our gardens, we might also consider what could act as a cover crop in our lives. What practices might protect, feed, and nurture us during a year that seems seriously out of balance? The stress of COVID, fires, hurricanes, and some of the hate filled actions and language we see each day can be overwhelming and disorienting.

Mindfulness practice could be the cover crop we need to embrace. Mindfulness is not a fix or an escape from problems.  But mindfulness practice can help us be more resilient in the face of them. It creates a healthy “soil” so that we can be our best, think clearly, and do the work required to address our challenges and make the world a better place. Commiting to a daily practice of sitting meditation or moving meditation like tai chi could be the equivalent of providing cover crops for our gardens. It is a way to step up in a positive way and embrace balance.

Happy Equinox.  May we all be blessed with health, balance, and resilience.

More Information on Cover Crops

“Best Winter Cover Crops” from Mother Earth News

“Cover Crop Solutions Chart” from Permaculture News