Leaving garden beds bare over the winter months is a common late-season oversight that can harm soil quality long before it’s time to plant your garden in spring. Heavy winter rains, freezing temperatures and wind erode unprotected topsoil, wash away essential nutrients and leave your garden vulnerable to weeds.

Planting a cover crop in late summer or fall keeps the soil intact, protects soil microorganisms, and lays a healthier foundation for the upcoming year. Here’s everything you need to know about choosing and planting cover crops in your garden beds.

How Cover Crops Protect Soil and Microorganisms

Cover crops act as an insurance policy for your garden beds, shielding the soil from seasonal degradation. Beyond preventing physical erosion, cover crops benefit gardens by helping the soil maintain its structure and keeping soil microorganisms as healthy as possible.

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“Cover crops can help improve soil organic matter, can provide nitrogen (if selecting legume varieties) and can act as a living mulch that can reduce weed pressure,” says Cassey Anderson, Colorado State University extension specialist. 

Selecting crop types adapted to your specific environment is critical for achieving these soil benefits. Leandro O. Vieira II, Ph.D., assistant professor and soil fertility specialist at Scott Research and Extension Center at  Louisiana State University AgCenter notes that selecting those adapted to your location is a best practice for the best outcomes.

How to Plant Cover Crops

Establishing a cover crop requires precise timing so that seeds can germinate and develop strong root systems before the soil freezes.

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As advised by PennState Extension, to plant a cover crop, rake the garden area smooth and remove debris or large stones. Sow the seed according to the recommended rates:

• Annual Ryegrass: Plant from August through October at a rate of 1 to 2 pounds per 1,000 square feet.
• Oats: Plant until September at a rate of 4 pounds per 1,000 square feet.
• Wheat: Plant until October at a rate of 4 pounds per 1,000 square feet.
• Winter Rye: Plant until November at a rate of 4 pounds per 1,000 square feet.
• Brassicas (Tillage Radishes, Turnips, Rapeseed): Plant in August at a rate of 1 pound per 1,000 square feet.
• Legumes (Alfalfas and Clovers): Plant in August or September at a rate of 1 to 2 pounds per 1,000 square feet.

After sowing, lightly rake again and water in the cover crop with your hose set at a fine mist. To give the planting a strong start, apply a complete fertilizer like 10-10-10 at 10 pounds per 1,000 square feet or a lower-nitrogen fertilizer, such as 5-10-10, if plating legumes.

Key Considerations Before Choosing Your Cover Crop

Selecting between brassicas, legumes or grasses comes down to your garden layout and neighborhood environment.

As you decide what to plant as a cover crop, remember that brassicas (mustard and cabbage family), while they are quick-growing and effective, may develop a rotten egg-like odor as they decompose.

Additionally, consider whether your chosen cover crop may be an attractive food source to local wildlife; legumes (bean and clover family), for example, will draw deer to your garden.

Sources:

• Leandro O. Vieira II, Ph.D., assistant professor and soil fertility specialist at Scott Research and Extension Center at  Louisiana State University AgCenter
• Cassey Anderson, Colorado State University extension specialist 

This article has been adapted from Your Raised Bed Soil Is Running Out of Nutrients—Here’s How to Fix It Before Winter by Jenna Clark