I know growing a cover crop has many benefits - holds the soil, fixes nitrogen, prevents weeds,
but I don't have a lawn mower and I do not want to have to cut the crop down before I turn it into the ground.

Does anyone know of a ground cover I can plant, which will not get too high?

And also how long to wait after turning it into the earth, before planting, because the Rodale article on ground covers says some inhibit seeding.

Thanks,
ellen

Red clover doesn't need mowing.

What your cover crop will do depends on which one you seed. If you wish to fix Nitrogen in the soil then what you seed needs to be a legume. If you wish to inhibit weed growth you will need one of the cover crops with allelopathic properties. To hold soil in place, prevent erosion, the cover crop should be actively growing.
Clovers, which can fix N, are fairly short growing, but it may be too late to plant them in New Jersey.
Field, Winter, or Cereal Rye might still be plantable and it does have those allelopathic properties. Next spring this can be cut down, or knocked down while still fairly short, long befor it sets seed.
Know which one can inhibit seed germination and the time needed before seeding to stop growth. This does take a bit of research and is not something that is easily covered by such a general question.

Many cover crops can be simply cut and left lay if they haven't set seed yet. A mower would be good to have if you are going to till the cover crop into your garden but not absolutely necessary. A good cover crop may have it's most effect if it is "laid down" and used for mulch. If you do till in spring, clover (and I'm sure other short crops) will be one of the easiest to till into the soil without it being high enough to cause problems by wrapping around the tines.

There have been several times in the past when I have allowed the cover crop, Field Rye or Buckwheat, to set seed before cutting it down and the only "problem I have seen is that this seed germinates and provides me with another cover crop, this time for free.
Often I will read from people that this is a "weed", or they have used hay or straw for a mulch and the seed from that hay or straw has germinated and now they have this "weed" growing and what can they do. Nothing is what needs to be done since that is just more of what you paid money to get.

Oats work well because they winter kill when it gets really cold (below 10 or 15 degrees). You leave the dead plants there and just dig them in next spring, no mowing required. Unfortunately it's too late to plant them. I'm in zone 6b/7a and I plant them in Sept. So maybe next year.

Check out what's growing there naturally. I've just discovered a great crop of sourgrass that is acting as a cover crop in a neglected corner of my garden. I had let it grow among the corn, beans and squash section because I like to include it in my salads and now it has taken over and makes quite a nice cover for the rows since I've gotten the dead stuff out.

quote:

A good cover crop may have it's most effect if it is "laid down" and used for mulch.

Just curious how would you do this? Laid down? How to you plant with all that laid down cover crop??

Cut it off just above soil level and let it fall. Planting simply amounts to rake it aside if planting in rows, or make a bare spot if you're putting plants in. The cover crop will form a good mulch and return the nutrients back to the soil as the season progresses.

I use winter rye. its cheap and grows about 3 ft tall at max so it gives plenty of green matter. Towards spring i actually cut it down at least once with the weed wacker and it comes back again. but now too fast then i just rototill it under.