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Cover Crops for Vegetable Growers

Why cover crops?
Soil Health

Decision Tool

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

Photos

Seed sources



Research

Buckwheat planting date
Buckwheat field preparation

Fertility

Cover crops for fall

By late September and October, most vegetables are harvested and there is time to think about cover crops. But it is also too late to establish the best choices, which are planted earlier in September.

Wheat will provide a small amount of growth, but generally little soil protection in the winter, and will be prone to frost heaving in the spring. It may have value as a nurse crop for frost-seeded medium red clover

Rye is the cover crop that will provide winter soil protection when sown this late in the season. It will use any mild fall days to develop a root system that will hold saturated soil together at snowmelt. It must be carefully managed in the spring to prevent excessive growth and suppression of crops.

If fall is getting on, and there is crop residue in the field, it may be preferable to frost seed mustard or medium red clover very early in spring.