I’ve been called out for not discussing the basics of cover cropping earlier in this blog. Okay, guilty! Cover crops, especially legumes, are best planted a couple weeks ahead of the first killing frost — as if our changing weather patterns give us any clue as to when that’s going to happen — to give them time to germinate. Legumes usually take longer to germinate. But if you haven’t planted? Experience tells us it’s not too late, depending on your climate and the precautions you take.
Grasses — ryegrass, winter rye, winter wheat and wheatgrass, oats — germinate more quickly and therefore are more suitable for late planting. But some legumes — hairy vetch for example — are more adaptable to cold climates and will germinate if planted late, especially if you get a string of warm days in the late season. Buckwheat is a good grass choice for colder climates. Not only does it germinate more quickly than legumes, it’s a quick grower.
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Cover Crop Seeds
Most often planted in fall, cover crops protect and boost soil health — naturally!
Eric Vinje founded Planet Natural with his father Wayne in 1991, originally running it as a grasshopper bait mail-order business out of a garage.
Eric is now retired, but is still a renowned gardener known for his expertise in composting, organic gardening and pest control, utilizing pesticide-free options, such as beneficial insects.
Eric believes when you do something good for the environment, the effects will benefit generations to come.
Boost soil health … naturally! Planted in fall, cover crops protect soils from erosion and nutrient loss over winter. In spring, they’re turned back into the soil supplying organic matter and nutrients such as nitrogen. They’re the green way to nourish your garden.
Both legumes and grasses will germinate under cover of mulch if the mulch isn’t spread too deeply. And the mulch will help protect young sprouts from cold damage — a must if planted this late — as well as give them a boost in the spring. Here’s a chart (PDF) of best cover crops for different areas of the country.
Why plant them at all? Cover crops are one of the oldest and most efficient ways of improving your garden soil. They don’t call it “green manure” for nothing.
10 Benefits of Cover Crops
- They increase soil organic matter
- Legume cover crops replace nitrogen in the soil
- They improve soil porosity
- They help soil aeration
- The prevent erosion
- They attract and protect earthworms
- The increase “channels” for future row crop roots to follow
- They reduce compaction
- They increase nutrient recycling
- They help interrupt the cycle of soil-borne diseases that attack vegetables
Cover crops are also a big part of no-till gardening practice.
Planting fall season cover crops requires more than choosing the right crop. Watch the weather. When you have a string of warmer days predicted, go ahead and plant. Prepare the soil like you would for any other crop by tilling to a depth of six inches or so. Broadcast seed as recommended. Rake into the soil, water, if necessary and stand back. Patience is a must. Even if your cover crop doesn’t germinate (or germinates unevenly) there’s a good chance it will come up in the spring, especially if mulched. There’s nothing like seeing your garden turn green during spring’s first days, well before it’s time to plant. Turn your crop into the soil as early as possible. Don’t let it go to seed. Let it stand for a week or two — or more! — before planting. And next year? Resolve to do it earlier!
Eric Vinje founded Planet Natural with his father Wayne in 1991, originally running it as a grasshopper bait mail-order business out of a garage.
Eric is now retired, but is still a renowned gardener known for his expertise in composting, organic gardening and pest control, utilizing pesticide-free options, such as beneficial insects.
Eric believes when you do something good for the environment, the effects will benefit generations to come.
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4 Responses to “Planting Cover Crops”
Hi, what climate are you in? Here in the Maritimes, I was told that September 16 is the cutoff date for sowing winter crops. would love to sow more if there is still time after all?
We’re in the Northern Rockies (Bozeman, MT).
That might be comparable… what is *your* cutoff date?
We have a winter storm advisory in effect for today… but may still have some warm pockets of weather before the snow really starts to fly. Any mild weather will allow roots to get established.