🐝 Cover crops

Cover crops are grasses, clover and flowers that grow between the rows of vines. They are either sown or allowed to grow on their own. Such an alley between rows is sometimes called a green carpet. The idea is simple: instead of bare earth, the vineyard gets a living layer of plants.

The benefits are several. Grass roots hold the soil on slopes and protect it from being washed away by rain. Clover and other legumes collect nitrogen and feed the soil. The ground gets more life: worms, insects and microbes. Flowers feed bees and other pollinators, which is why such a vineyard is called rich in biodiversity. Sheep often graze the grass in vineyards and fertilise the soil at the same time.

There is a downside: grass takes water. In dry areas it must be mown or grown only in spring. So the grower chooses a mix suited to the place.

Cover crops are popular in organic viticulture, where strong chemicals are not used. It is the same grass as on a pasture, only growing between the vines.