Oats and Peas Cover Crop Seed Mix
50- 70 days to termination. Oats and Peas Cover Crop Mix Seeds. Non-GMO, annual, winter-killing, no-till, forage-friendly. Plant as a spring, summer, or fall cover crop to restore vital nutrients and improve soil quality. Oat and pea cover crops are perfect for restoring vital nutrients to the soil between cash crops or planting times. This mix will winter-kill and can be used in tilling or no-tilling growing methods. The peas put nitrogen back into the soil, and the oats act as a support stock and companion plant to the peas. About 435 seeds per ounce.
🌱 5 lbs per 1,000 square feet
Downloadable Free Cover Crop Growing Guide
-->Growing Non-GMO Oat and Peas Cover Crop Mix Seeds
Sow at 5 lb./1,000 sq.ft., or about 120-200 lb./acre. Scatter or broadcast seed at the recommended rate and lightly rake in or plant up to 2 inches deep. Water in heavily at the time of planting and regularly throughout its life if natural rainfall is insufficient. Plant in either early Spring as a cover crop before planting a late garden or crop. Or, sow in the late summer/fall to winter-kill following your main crops.
Once at maturity, this crop can be harvested for forage or culinary consumption. Or, it can be left to brown, cut down at the base, and mulched in. To prevent the oats from becoming a weed, be sure to cut down or plant late enough to kill the cover crop before it goes to seed. To terminate this cover crop, we encourage organic methods like winter-killing, crimping, or tilling to be used. It is recommended to wait about two weeks before planting a cash crop or garden after terminating a cover crop.
Benefits of the Oat and Peas Cover Crop Mix
Peas are nitrogen fixers and will rejuvenate the soil with nitrogen. This means they process nitrogen from the air and transfer it into a usable form for future plantings. Oats provide valuable organic matter once decomposed and act as a companion plant and structure for peas to climb. Organic matter can help retain moisture in soils, improve soil drainage, and improve nutrient delivery.
About the Oat and Peas Cover Crop Mix Seeds
This annual cover crop will die over the winter, making it easy for any beginner or home gardener. Perennial cover crops have their advantages, but they require more attention to prevent weedy habits.
Use this mix to preserve and improve the soil health of your garden or field between crops. It may also be used as feed for appropriate animals.
This mix can be terminated at any time necessary. The young seedlings and tendrils are good to eat in salads.
The highest biomass is seen with spring sowing. It can also be utilized with late summer sowing for fall or winter termination.
Terminate cover crops 2-3 weeks before growing a crop for harvest.
Oat and Pea Cover Crop Mix
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| Crop | Scientific Name | Percent of Mix |
| Dun Peas |
Pisum sativum subsp. arvense | 70% |
| Oats |
Avena sativa | 30% |
* This mix does not contain any inoculant. We recommend using our Legume Inoculant for healthier development. Mix 0.05 oz of inoculant powder with 0.25 tbsp of water. Roll seeds around the mixture and plant within 12 hours.
Tips From Our Gardeners
"This is the perfect cover crop for heavy nitrogen feeders. If you plan to plant and harvest broccoli, tomatoes, okra, pumpkins, or any other crop that requires lots of nitrogen available in the soil, this is the optimal choice to precede them with. It will ultimately reduce your fertilizer use."
 - Lara Wadsworth, True Leaf Market Writer
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Other Resources
- What are Cover Crops and Green Manures Used For? - Learn how different cover crops are beneficial.
- Ground Covers vs Cover Crops - Learn what the difference is and how to use them.
No-Till Oat and Peas Cover Crop Mix Seed Coverage:
- 4 oz - Bulk Seeds - About 1,740 Seeds - Covers Approximately 50 square feet
- 1 lb - Bulk Seeds - About 6,960 Seeds - Covers Approximately 200 square feet
- 5 lb - Bulk Seeds - About 34,800 Seeds - Covers Approximately 1,000 square feet
- 25 lb - Bulk Seeds - About 174,000 Seeds - Covers Approximately 5,000 square feet
Non-GMO Oat and Peas Cover Crop Mix seeds are available for Fast Free Shipping on qualifying orders.
Basic Info
| Latin Name: | See description tab |
Growing Info
| Hardiness Zone: | Annual - Will winter-kill in zones 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8; Use other methods to terminate in warmer zones or if planted in the spring or summer months. |
| Days to Maturity: | 50-70 |
| Days to Germination: | 5-20 |
| Seeding Depth: | 1-2 inches |
| Plant Spacing: | Broadcast, lightly rake into soil |
| Row Spacing: | N/A |
| Plant Height: | 24-36 inches |
| Growth Habit: | Upright |
| Temperature Preference: | 60-75 degrees F |
| Light Preference: | Full Sun |
Other
| Plant Width: | Varies |
| Cover Crop Mix Soil Benefits: | Cover cropping in general prevents soil erosion and improves soil quality so that your cash crop can thrive to its full potential. It improves the mycelial network that is present in any healthy soil as well as the overall nutrient content from season to season. Instead of letting your fields lie fallow, cover crop them to preserve the precious soil for the next planting season. |
| Pests and Diseases: | Cover crops prevent pest issues by encouraging predator bugs or beneficial insects (the ones that kill the bugs that eat or otherwise harm your crop). This can interrupt the life cycles of pests that could decimate your preferred crop. Cover crops also suppress weeds and prevent them from getting out of hand. The biodiversity throughout the year that incorporating cover crops provides also helps to disrupt pest life cycles and ultimately limit the amount of pests that will feed on your cash crop. |