~ July 15, 2025

At Spring Grove Nursery, sustainability isn’t just a buzzword, it’s a grounding principle in all we do. Over the years, we’ve honed our field practices with one clear goal in mind: grow healthy trees while taking good care of the land that supports them. Two of the most impactful tools in our soil conservation toolbox are soybean cover crops and grass filter strips, and this time of year, their benefits are on full display across the nursery.

Throughout the growing season, you’ll find rows of soybeans planted in between blocks of trees. As part of a bigger, seventh-generation corn and soybean family farm, we are able to partner with Becky’s brother Chris at Harford Farms to plant and harvest a soybean crop on our empty blocks every year. This soybean crop isn’t just for aesthetics or harvest (though those are great benefits on their own) they’re working hard behind the scenes! Soybean cover crops play a key role in improving soil structure, increasing organic matter, reducing erosion, and fixing nitrogen naturally. Their roots stabilize the soil, their leaves protect the surface from runoff, and when we harvest them in late fall, we return that organic material back to the earth.

Cover crops help us reduce the need for spraying chemicals, they retain moisture, and suppress weeds, all while keeping our soils healthy and alive. After harvest, the leftover organic matter remains in the field, acting as a natural mulch to protect our rows through the winter months.

Another cornerstone of our conservation plan is the use of grass filter strips. These strategically planted strips of perennial grasses and clover frame the nursery blocks and serve as natural buffers between our trees and the wider environment. By surrounding our tree rows with these perennial buffers, we’re adding an extra layer of protection that supports clean water, healthy soil, and thriving biodiversity, which is especially important in the transitional areas of our farm where fields meet waterways, ditches, or other natural corridors. During the summer, these filter strips are buzzing pollinator habitats, and you’ll find snakes, birds, and other creatures making their homes and nests among the trees. We love our extra nursery friends! 

Whether it’s spring planting, summer growth, fall harvest, or winter dormancy, our cover crops and filter strips are active all year long. In the late summer and early fall, we prioritize prepping our fields for next season by harvesting soybean cover crops and planting our filter strips. 

Cover cropping isn’t just about short-term gain, it’s about long-term stewardship. Healthy soil grows healthy trees, and healthy trees support healthy communities. That’s a cycle we’re proud to be part of.

If you’d like to learn more about our soil health practices or visit the farm to see our cover crops and filter strips in action, reach out anytime! We love talking trees – thanks for growing with us!

Here are a few cover cropping pics with some videos from the past after!