I’ve been reading quite a bit about cover cropping and the use of that crop as a mulch when planting into a rolled, crimped cover crop. Usually the crimpers are large rolling devices with ridges coming off the roller that lays down and crimps the plant, causing it to lay flat and eventually die off. In the greenhouse, that area would be too small for such an application so I made my own. I took a piece of angle iron and drilled holes in one edge so I could mount it in a 4’, 2×4 board with rings on the edge and a rope so I could hang onto it and press it onto the cover crop. I even put an edge on the angle piece so it would break the stem down as I stepped on the board.
After all the foliage is flat, I took a straight edge shovel to cut the stems and dig a whole and planted tomato plants into the mat. The foliage will keep a cover on the ground and help preserve moisture and give the microbes a home to do their work. I’m encouraged with this greenhouse production method. I did a similar method with my winter squash last year and had a phenomenal crop. I love trying out new processes with hopes for a better crop.