A healthy vegetable garden requires nutrient rich soil. Many gardeners add compost, manure and other organic materials to enrich the soil, but another method is by planting veggie garden cover crops. So what is it and why is cover cropping for increased vegetable production a good idea?
What are Cover Crops in the Garden?
The organic matter we use to amend our soils provides food for earthworms, bacteria, fungi, nematodes and others that live in the soil and in turn make it fertile. Planting cover crops for vegetable gardens is just another method of infusing organic matter into the garden to facilitate healthier growth and production. Cover crops in the garden improve the soil's physical structure and fertility. Growing cover crops for vegetable gardens also halts soil erosion, reduces weed problems, aids in water retention and provides cover for beneficial insects. Once the cover crop has been worked back into the soil, it provides nitrogen, phosphorus,potassium as well as other micronutrients. Cover crops used to attract beneficial insects to aid in controlling insect pests are called “trap crops.” Cover cropping for vegetable production is also sometimes called green manure, which is simply in reference to the type of plant used in the cover cropping. Green manure refers to plants used for cover cropping which are in the pea (legume) family. Pea family green manures are special in that they enrich the soil's nitrogen levels as a result of the presence of bacteria (Rhizobium spp.) in their root systems which convert nitrogen gas from the air into nitrogen usable to the plant. Pea seed should be treated with a bacterium, available from the garden center, prior to planting it as a cover crop, as the bacterium may not naturally reside in your soil. If your soil is in need of nitrogen, use Austrian peas or the like as a cover crop. Plant grass crops such as winter wheat, grain rye or oats to scavenge leftover nutrients from the veggie garden and then recycle them by plowing it in the spring. Depending upon your soil needs, you may even plant a combination of green manure and grass as a cover crop.
Types of Cover Crops for Vegetable Gardens
Along with green manuretypes of cover crops, there are a large variety of choices for the home gardener. The timing for planting cover crops varies as well, with some types sown in late summer and others late fall. Cover crops may be planted right after harvest, in lieu of a veggie crop or in an area that is fallow. Cover crops planted in the spring or summer are called “warm season” and include buckwheat. These warm season crops grow rapidly, thus foiling weed growth while protecting bare soil from crusting and water erosion. Cover crops planted in late summer to early fall after veggie harvest are referred to as cool season cover crops. They are planted early enough to mature before winter sets in. Some types of plants will overwinter and begin growth again in the spring, while others will die back in the winter months. If you want to plant early crops in the spring, like radishes,peas and spring greens, plants that die back over the winter, such as oats, are a good choice. If, however, you plant a cover crop such as rye, which will begin growth again in the spring, it will need to be tilled under prior to planting the vegetable garden. This is a great choice for areas of the garden in which you want to plant tomatoes,peppers and squash. Mow the cover crop before it goes to seed and then till under and allow the soil to lie fallow for three to six weeks prior to planting.
How to Plant Cover Crops
Once you've chosen the type of cover crop you wish to sow, it's time to prepare the garden. Immediately after harvesting vegetables, remove all plant debris and till the garden up to the depth of 6 inches (15 cm.). Amend the soil with compost or well rotted manure at the rate of 20 pounds (9 kg.) per 100 square feet (9.3 square m.) or add a 15-15-15 fertilizer at the rate of 1 pound (454 g.) per 100 square feet (9.3 square m.). Rake out any large stones and moisten the soil. Large seeded cover crops like peas, hairy vetch, wheat, oats, and grain rye should be broadcast at the rate of ¼ pounds (114 g.) per 100 square feet (9.3 square m.). Smaller seeds such as buckwheat, mustard andryegrass should be broadcast at the rate of 1/6 pound (76 g.) to each 100 square feet (9.3 square m.) and then lightly covered with soil.
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FAQs
Cover crops that provide good cover and a dense root system help stabilize soils and combat erosion. Clover Seeds, Annual Rye Grass Seeds, Austrian Winter Peas, Crown Vetch Seeds, sudangrass, sorghum-sudan hybrids, rapeseed, mustards, and cowpeas are good cover crops for erosion protection.
What is the best cover crop for vegetable gardens? ›
Popular fall-planted cover crops include oats, winter rye, winter wheat, crimson clover, and hairy vetch. The latter two crops are legumes- plants that can add a lot of nitrogen to your soil after they decompose.
How do you use cover crops in a vegetable garden? ›
Sow cover crop seeds, allowing at least four weeks of growth before cold weather. Follow the directions on seed packets for broadcast rates. Water when needed. In the spring, turn cover crops under at least three weeks before planting to allow organic matter to decompose.
What is the best cover crop before tomatoes? ›
One of my favorite winter cover crops is hairy vetch (Vicia villosa). When grown before tomatoes, hairy vetch can enhance their productivity and boost tomatoes' ability to resist common diseases. Hairy vetch is also a choice cover crop to grow in areas to be planted with sweet corn, peppers or other summer crops.
What is the best ground cover for raised garden beds? ›
Leguminous cover crops, such as crimson clover, hairy vetch, and Austrian winter pea, work wonders in raised beds. These plants have a unique ability to fix nitrogen from the atmosphere into the soil, enriching it naturally.
Can you plant cover crops with vegetables? ›
You'd have to use a cover crop that a similar or longer maturity date than the vegetable crop growing in the same space. You'd also want a cover crop that didn't get very tall, otherwise you'd have to regularly mow it so that it didn't shade your vegetable plants.
What is the number 1 vegetable crop? ›
Tomatoes - the world's most popular vegetable.
What are the disadvantages of cover crops? ›
All cover crops have limitations, as no plant can provide every desired benefit. Major limitations include the cost to establish cover crops, the time required to plant during the busy harvest season, and required additional management/planning.
What is a cover crop for tomatoes? ›
Cover crops in tomato production systems
To date, most cover cropping in California tomato production systems has involved the use of relatively short-season, October- or November-seeded small grain crops such as triticale (Triticosecale) and barley (Secale cereale) or the legume vetch (Vicia sativa).
Can you plant directly into cover crop? ›
But the longer you let a cover crop grow, the more benefits you can harvest. Enter the 'planting green' concept. This strategy means corn or soybeans are planted directly into a growing cover crop (most often rye or wheat) without killing it first, explains Jenny Rees, University of Nebraska Extension educator.
Crimson clover is an excellent living mulch for tomatoes and the rest of the garden, too. It can be tilled under or worked into soil to replace depleted nitrogen. This plant is a standard in permaculture and attracts pollinators.
What is the best cover for tomatoes? ›
Use floating row cover to wrap or drape over your beds on cold nights. It will even protect plants from a freeze. It's more effective if it's draped over a frame so that it's not touching the plant.
What do you put in a hole before planting tomatoes? ›
To begin amending the soil, start by digging holes about 15 inches deep (this is not your planting depth, but the space you'll need for adding amendments). Fish heads, fish fillets from the supermarket freezer section, or a handful of fish and kelp meal help boost soil nutrients.
What is the longest lasting type of raised bed? ›
Keep beds at least 6 feet from pavement and south-facing walls, which intensify summer heat. HOW LONG DO BEDS LAST? That depends on what they're made of. Beds built with western red cedar can last 10 to 15 years; galvanized steel, 20 years; masonry or plastic composites, indefinitely.
What do you put in a deep raised garden bed? ›
The materials used include large rotting logs, sticks and other debris that are layered with grass clippings, coffee grounds, compost, and other organic matter. As the material breaks down, it creates a flourishing environment for beneficial fungi and microbes that mimics the natural landscape of a forest.
What are the best cover crops for nitrogen fixing? ›
Most oat varieties, spring triticale, spring barley, spring peas, and even winter annual legumes like hairy vetch and crimson clover can do quite well for spring-planted biomass production – and nitrogen fixation, in the case of legumes.
When should I plant a cover crop in my garden? ›
Seed cover crops as early in the growing season as possible for good establishment. Plant annual ryegrass from August through October at a rate of 1 to 2 pounds per 1000 square feet. Plant oats until September, wheat until October, and winter rye until November, all at a rate of 4 pounds per 1000 square feet.
What is the best cover crop to add nitrogen? ›
Hairy vetch ($40-70 per acre) is often considered the best cover crop if nitrogen fixation is the primary goal and can provide most or all the nitrogen needed for a subsequent corn crop.
What do you put on top of landscape fabric in a vegetable garden? ›
Mulch will help keep weeds down in addition to the fabric while covering the landscape fabric, providing organic nutrients to the soil and beautifying your yard.
