![Jordan Freytag + photo](https://cdn.shopify.com/oxygen-v2/26990/12114/24902/858761/build/_assets/pfp-default-FWUVTHZX.webp?width=50&height=50)
Jordan Freytag
![](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/2016/2681/articles/cover-crop-vetch-blog_d4235ad6-5a92-43ae-bc61-3321dce8b4c5.jpg?v=1631056276&width=100&height=35&crop=center)
Cover crops are the best way to replenish the soil in your garden. Fall cover crops will keep that soil alive through the winter. There are several seed types that are ideal for this, which ones really depend on the type of soil you have, and what your climate or hardiness zone is.
Generally, it's best to clear out your summer garden about four weeks before the first frost date. Healthy plants can be cut down or pulled out by the roots and added to your compost pile. Any diseased plants should not be composted, for the safety of the garden soil and future harvests. For those, it's best to pull them out by the roots, and carefully dispose of them, in a plastic trash bag.
Then comes the fun part! Add some compost to your garden and plant some cover crops. Some of the best of these are legumes, grains, or radishes. A personal favorite, and an easy grower in the fall that's great for raised beds, is the legume Hairy Vetch.
The cover crops will add nitrogen back to the soil, suppress weeds, and some will break up the ground. Remove them in spring, before they flower. An easy way to do that is to use a weed-wacker and crop them completely down. Leave the plants scattered on the surface to dry out for a few days, then turn it over into the garden. This will add good organic material to the soil, as they break down over a few weeks.
Written by David Wiley
Leave a comment
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *
4 comments
Allison
I ordered some clover seeds as a cover crop and this will be my first time attempting a cover crop for the winter … I live in zone 8a and was hoping to get a winter garden in but a TON of rain followed by high temperatures killed most of the vegetable seedlings :*( If I sow the clover seeds now and they flower over these next few growing months, does that negate their effectiveness as a cover crop?
Richard Hardy
Great article. Regenerative agriculture is one major way to combat global warming. Our nation’s soil used to sequester carbon but commercial agriculture has never evolved enough to put tilling in the rear view mirror. Our soil gets continuously turned over and exposed to the sun where it turns to useless dirt instead of healthy and vigorous soil. Cover crops are a key component of healthy soil. Time to realize there’s an entire universe of nutrients below our topsoil.
Sarah
What if you crop the cover crop down and you can’t get it dry because of spring rain?
Cheryl Coogen
I grow my veggies in Gro-Bags. How can I use cover crops in this situation?
Further Reading
Instant Pot Fresh Tomato Sauce
Written By Lara Wadsworth Ingredients 2 Pounds Fresh Tomatoes 1 Large Onion 1 Large Red Bell Pepper 1 Large Carrot 6 Cloves Garlic 1 Tbsp Dried Oregano 1 Tbsp Dried Basil 2 Tbsp Salt 2 Tbsp Honey (or sugar) Instructions 1. Wash, remove the tops, and cu...
Ashleigh Smith
2024-09-033 min read0Digging Deeper: The Essentials of Soil Composition
Written By Lara Wadsworth Understanding the composition of your soil is key to understanding your garden and succeeding as a grower. The best soils for growing nearly any plant are loamy soils. Loam is a balanced mix of sand, silt, and clay, which is c...
Ashleigh Smith
2024-08-205 min read02024 Scholarship Winner - Taqdeer Gill - Unlocking the Benefits of Summer Cover Crops
Written By Taqdeer Gill Cover crops are plants grown to improve both the soil health and ecosystem sustainability. They are usually planted between the growing seasons of the main crops when the soil would otherwise be left bare. According to the Susta...
Ashleigh Smith
2024-08-069 min read050 Years of Growing - Celebrating Our Roots
True Leaf Market’s roots go back to 1974, when our founder Demetrios Agathangelides started Mountain Valley Seed Company. Mountain Valley Seeds was originally a mail-order seed company focused on providing seeds to those in the Intermountain West. It h...
Ashleigh Smith
2024-07-309 min read3