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Keep living roots in the soil

Living roots feed the soil organisms that build structure. The more of the year a living plant is growing, the better.

Plants make sugars from sunlight, and they send some of them down through their roots to feed fungi and bacteria. In return, those organisms help the plant take up water and nutrients, and they help bind the soil into crumbs. A bed with nothing growing in it is a bed with nothing feeding that partnership.

Why it matters

  • Roots hold soil in place and open channels for water and air.
  • Root exudates feed the soil food web even when nothing is being harvested.
  • A living cover in the gaps between crops keeps weeds from taking the space.

Ways to keep roots in the ground

  • Sow a cover crop after harvest, or in gaps between crops. Choose one that suits your season.
  • Start early and finish late. Plant as early as you safely can in spring and keep things growing as late as the weather allows in fall.
  • Cut cover crops at the base rather than pulling them, so roots stay in the soil to break down.
  • Use perennials where they fit: herbs, flowers, fruit, or a pasture mix.

Things to watch

  • South Dakota's short growing season limits what can grow late in the year. Cold-hardy options are worth looking for, and a cover crop may need to go in earlier than you expect.
  • A cover crop that is allowed to go to seed can become a weed. Cut it before it sets seed.
  • Cover crops use water. In a dry season, consider whether you can water them.

Recommendations vary by climate, soil, and growing system.

Recommendations that use this idea

  • Add perennials along the edges

    Practical experience Medium effort Not yet reviewed by an expert

    Perennials keep roots in the ground all year and rarely need the soil disturbed.

  • If you grew a cover crop, cut it before it sets seed

    Well established Medium effort Not yet reviewed by an expert

    Cutting at the right time returns the plant to the soil as mulch and keeps the cover crop from becoming a weed.

  • Sow a cover crop after harvest

    Well established Medium effort Not yet reviewed by an expert

    Living roots feed soil organisms, hold soil in place, and take up nutrients that would otherwise wash away.

  • Sow a quick summer cover in empty beds

    Practical experience Low effort Not yet reviewed by an expert

    A fast-growing summer cover keeps roots in the soil, shades it, and crowds out weeds between crops.

These appear in your plan when they fit your growing space and the season. Open My Soil.

Recommendations vary by climate, soil, and growing system. More at the USDA NRCS soil health resources.

Grow Our Ground. Recommendations are human-authored and vary by climate, soil, and growing system.

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