Cover Crops for Vegetable Growers
Newsletter articles
Early summer
Mid and
late summer
Late summer
legumes
Early fall
Fall
Early spring
Cover crop information
Buckwheat
Annual
ryegrass
Oats
Wheat (includes
spelt, triticale)
Rye
Sudangrass
Reed Canarygrass
Arugula
Mustard, spring
Mustard, fall
Forage Radish
Forage
Turnips
Red
clover
Hairy Vetch
Field Peas
White
Clover
Wheat, Spelt
and Triticale Click to download printable PDF
file.
Wheat and its close relatives are common cover crops in the Northeast. They are winter hardy and are often found in rotation schedules with vegetable crops to prevent winter soil erosion. These small grains are good for reducing root rot in vegetables. In the spring, wheat, spelt and triticale grow more slowly than rye and are therefore easier to incorporate. Triticale’s primary advantage is that it can be sown earlier than the others. Spelt’s advantages are that it grows better in low nitrogen soil, is more competitive with weeds in the spring, and heads a week later. In the spring the decision to take the crop to harvest is an option.
| Land Preparation | Prepare a firm weed free seed bed. Additional fertilizer is not needed |
| Seeding Rate | If you are accustomed to raising small grains,
use half the amount the conditions would usually call for. Wheat 70 lb/ac Spelt 80 lb/ac Triticale 80 lb/ac For weed suppression, increase rate by 30% If broadcasting, increase rate by 30 % If seeding late, increase by 50 to 100% |
| Seeding date | Wheat: Hessian fly-free date (Mid September) to
October1. Spelt: Hessian fly-free date (Mid September) to October10. Triticale: August 25 to September 25 Triticale can be sown before the Hessian fly-free date. Spelt makes a better stand than wheat when sown in October, or in cool soil. |
| Seed sources | Local farm seed dealer. Use quality seed. Triticale: Rupp, Lakeview Organic Grain |
| Maintenance | Little required, check for gaps in the cover crop and fill in. |
| Control | Control by incorporation after boot stage but before flowering. (the window is typically one week occurring between May 20 and June 7. ) For earlier incorporation control with glyphosate is effective once day temperatures exceed 50°F. Wet and warm weather in the spring can result in excessive growth. |
| Tips |
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