Cover Crops for Vegetable Growers
Newsletter articles
Early summer
Mid and late summer
Late summer legumes
Early fall
Fall
Early spring
Cover crop information
Annual
ryegrass
Buckwheat
Sudangrass
Mustard, spring
Mustard, fall (includes radish, rape, kale)
Red
clover
Hairy vetch
Oats
Wheat (includes spelt, triticale)
Rye
Research
Buckwheat
planting date
Buckwheat
field preparation
Fertility
Cover crops for early spring
After
late-harvested vegetables, fields may be left open over winter with
only the decomposing crop residue protecting the ground. There is an
opportunity in the early spring to sow a cover crop.The options are:
Medium red clover. Spring is the common time to sow clover, often overseeded into small grain. If mowed at early flowering, it can provide nitrogen and cover through the summer, even until the following spring.
White mustard. A new option for a short turnaround, white or yellow mustard sown in March or April puts on biomass in May for incorporation at flowering in late May or early June. It is a good weed suppressor and can reduce soil disease pressure.
