Hi Angus,

I’ll reply again to keep this chat at the top of the list in the hope that someone more qualified than me will join in the conversation.

I don’t know exactly what your planting dates are, but many no-till farmers are having a lot of success with rye/vetch CCs, crimping them, and sowing direct into the residue. This is becoming a tried and tested way to cover the soil, maintaining moisture and fertility and suppressing weeds. It is used for soybeans in America on hundreds of acres and I know of a few growers in Germany (where I live) who use this method for transplanted vegetable (leeks, cabbage, etc.) I will be trying outdoor tomatoes in the coming season (as well as squashes, leeks and cabbage). Johannes Storch is a pioneer in growing vegetables in Mulch (unfortunately nearly everything on YouTube is in German). Tomatoes work in my climate because the late planting dates (frost) fit with the terminating dates of rye/vetch.

Perhaps other CCs would work with crimping in your climate?