[Don W]

I should also mention that the soil is quite poor up there. It tills up beautifully, but it’s got no oomph for growing stuff.

I plant it just because I’ll lose use of that patch if I give it up, and I have too much time involved in reclaiming it from the weeds that took it over. Russian thistle, gorse, vetch, bindweed, they will grow there no problem. Anything I like, not so much. < BG >

[tubebender]

You must garden in the northern part of the state if gorse, vetch and bindweed thrive in your yard. I’m in the northern coastal area behind the Redwood Curtain

[greeneyes]

Chives most likely. Consider planting cover crop for winter, and turn it under in spring to improve the soil. If all else fails, red clover sown in February will also help and grows in most any soil no matter how poor-helps to improve it.

[ApplegateRanch]

Those completely take over low fertility soils, and are terrible pests in crops; especially the bindweed.

Bindweed is also a listed noxious weed in a good many states, including WA, and our own SD.

Here's a harvester that ran into a patch in a field.

[Ellendra]

I should also mention that the soil is quite poor up there. It tills up beautifully, but it’s got no oomph for growing stuff.

There's a book called "Teaming With Microbes" that might help with that. It goes into great detail explaining how different organisms in the soil "mine" nutrients out of particles of rock, or bind to gases in the air, and render them into forms that plants can use. It's really a fascinating read.