How to grow cover crops

cover crops

I recently planted cover crops in some of my vegetable garden beds that are done producing for the year.

So, what are cover crops anyway? They are usually members of the legume or grass families. They’re are planted in idle soil to suppress weeds or maybe to protect soil from erosion. They add nutrients into the soil as well.

That last reason is why I’m growing them and it’s really important. In my opinion, it’s very easy to take our soil for granted. Yet each year, the vegetable crops we grow in our gardens deplete the soil of different types of nutrients.

cover crops

By planting cover crops in my raised beds, I’ll can turn those crops into the soil. That will add nitrogen and other organic amendments to the soil. That will in turn give me better yields next year.

This year, I’m planting Austrian winter peas in my beds. They’re a legume which has nitrogen-fixing attributes. Other examples are different types of rye grasses and clovers. You can find cover crop seeds at large garden centers. If you live in Spokane, Northwest Seed & Pet stocks them.

Planting technique

To plant them, all you have to do is loosen the top few inches of the soil. At that point, either plant the seeds in rows or broadcast them across the bed. For best results, plant the seeds about a month before the killing frosts start occurring. That will allow the roots can become established.

If the type of crop you are growing begins to flower, cut them down to the ground. Wait a couple of days for the plants to dry out. At that point, turn them into the soil so they can decompose over the fall and winter.

I’ve found three excellent resources on the web for growing cover crops:

If you have any questions, just drop me an email at inthegarden@live.com.