Cover Crops are a valuable tool for a home gardener to have. They protect soil from erosion, replenish nutrients between growing seasons, and improve soil health. If you want to learn the basics about cover crops and how they can help your home garden, check out our free cover crop grow guide. Here we break down the different types of crops and explore exactly what they do. For more of an in-depth look at what crops you can grow during the fall season, this is the article for you.
Fall is the perfect time to build organic matter and increase the amount of nitrogen in your soil. As the summer temperatures fall, seeds readily germinate and generate enough growth before it is time to turn your young plants back into the soil. I prefer growing fall cover crops because they have the entire winter to decompose. While you can grow spring cover crops, I sometimes feel more stressed with timing it right so I am ready to plant my main garden in time. I also like to grow cool season plants in the early spring making it impossible to get a full cover crop in as well.
The biggest reason I plant a fall cover crop is to reduce soil erosion and replace lost nutrients. As we approach the dry winter season, soils lose their moisture and can easily be blown away. To help reduce loss during these winds, use plants to anchor the soil in place. Cover crop root systems act as a natural tarp while maintaining good soil structure to properly drain flashes of rain or snow.
This process of covering the land is actually how the earth naturally preserves its landscape. You can see it in action by observing a wildflower field. During the growing season, the flowers compete for prime growing space within a field. After their season has passed, grasses keep the soil from becoming too muddy and sliding downhill. When the spring returns, the overwintered wildflower seeds germinate and the process repeats as it replenishes the nutrients through decomposition and recycles the organic matter. You can use fall cover crops to achieve the same goals in your home garden.
Each oval shows the approximate start and growing time for cover crops in each hardiness zone. Exactly how long it takes to grow a specific cover crop for the best growth will depend on the individual plant. However, these times are a good start if this is your first time trying a cover crop. For more specific planting times consult our free grow guide.
13 comments
Does True Leaf have the cover crop mix?
Ashleigh, I was talking to my hubby abt cover crops. We’re in zn 9A on a tiny 1/3 acre with little growing space tho I have an increasing size to my deck container garden. During the course of our discussion where he agreed cover crops in fall are good, he asked me why we should plant a cover crop since we don’t grow in-ground, we’re mostly a level property, and though having more healthy/fertile soil would be good, we just couldn’t think of a good reason to do so other than giving him a lawn mowing break in the fall/winter months. (In TX you still need to mow occasionally until spring when mowing constantly begins anew.) So can you give me any thoughts I could share with hubby? Thanks!
Can this be applied to raised beds? Mine are 2.5 to 3.5 feet high. I currently cover with wood chip mulch on garlic. But I put cardboard and/or weed barrier to prevent weeds in spring. I do supplement each spring with composted manure, but I think the cover crop may be advantageous for nutrients and soil conditioning. But I do not till, and do not wish to pull out my cover crops as in weeding in spring.
Looking forward to my 1 lb garden mix for my raised beds. Excellent packaging for freshness. I would like the bag to say how many square feet a pound covers. The broadcasting method uses a lot of seed. Also can you put pictures of the seeds in that bag on your website , Ashleigh so I know which seed is which. Thanks so much for your guides that are very helpful.
This was so helpful, thank you! Can cover crops be harvested, or are they supposed to be filled back into the soil before harvest? I’ve planted rye for the first time this year!