Cover Crops—Plants That Protect and
Nourish Your Soils
Cover crops are very valuable for the work they do, including holding soil in place, adding organic matter to the soil, adding nitrogen to the soil (in some cases), and acting as a mulch.
If you're open-minded, you could also say that weeds are cover crops, since they do many of the same tasks as the legumes and non-legumes that we plant.
There are different reasons why we should consider growing our own cover crops, besides the obvious reason of providing a ground cover over winter. Here are three:
Plant them around food crops to conserve soil moisture, keep weeds down, and keep the soil and air temperatures a little cooler.
Plant them to be a permanent mulch in and around fruit trees, bushes and perennial vegetables.
Plant them in spring and fall to rejuvenate poor soil.
There are many different types of cover crops available in North America.
A List of Cover Crops
Alfalfa is used to break-up hard clay soil.
It also fixes nitrogen in the soil it's grown in.
Harvested early and added into the top inch or so of soil, it adds nitrogen to that soil as well.
Annual ryegrass is a food crop that covers the soil in winter and early spring.
It grows fast, holds the soil well, and prevents nutrients from leaching out of the soil.
Buckwheat grows even in poor soil and will grow rapidly in the summer.
Great to provide a build-up of organic matter, it decomposes quickly as well
Hairy vetch is a winter legume. It's noted for rapid growth which will choke out weed seeds.
Best if sowed with rye, oats or buckwheat.
Red clover will provide the most nitrogen enrichment if it's left in the soil for 1 full year.
It grows rapidly in spring, summer or early fall, even in poor soils.
White clover, also known as Dutch clover, grows well in shade and makes an excellent living mulch.
Winter rye is the most used and is the hardiest cover crop.
Plant 1 month before the first frost.
Work it into the soil before the plants set seeds.
If crop stays year round be sure to mow on high setting and that will keep the weeds from taking over.
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