Amy Draiss
Soil can get a little run down after the growing season. Your flowers, vegetables, and other plants have worked hard all summer to utilize the nutrients from the soil. They grow fast and hard over summer, and that means the soil can end the season depleted of both nutrients and beneficial microbes.
To help give your soil a helping hand as the seasons change, it’s well worth trying some cover crop planting as part of your fall jobs. The best cover crops in late summer and early fall will work fast to give your soil a lift and get them ready for the next wave of crops and ornamentals. Planting a fall and winter cover crop is an easy and effective way to replenish the soil after summer. Try these late summer and early fall cover crops to keep soil healthy and ensure a good base for the next planting year.
Another great way to give soil fertility a much-needed nutrient boost after summer is to add some slow-release goodness via Wiggle Worm Pure Worm Castings.
Best Cover Crops to Plant After Summer
Soil becomes healthier and maintains good structure, nutrient levels, and microbe populations when it contains living roots. It’s common to leave soil barren when you’re not growing something, such as from late fall into late winter or early spring, depending on your location and climate. However, a cover crop is a better way to maintain good soil while you’re not actively growing key ornamentals and crops.
Any time you’re not growing a primary crop or plant, you can grow a cover crop plant to improve soil. Let the cover crop grow, then work it into the soil before planting vegetables, flowers, or grains. By working the cover crop into the soil, you enrich it by building up organic matter. You can test the soil to identify its current condition, with a soil meter like the Raintrip 4-in-1 Meter from Amazon. This tests for pH, nutrient loads and moisture levels. This can help when determining the best cover crop plants for you.
When choosing the best cover crops to improve soil, consider when you’ll be using it and the specific benefits. Bear in mind that most cover crops die over winter, making it easy to work them into the soil. Some, like winter rye, do survive and require machinery and more effort to turn under. Here are some ideas to get you started planning your cover crop strategy.
1. Crimson Clover
Red or crimson clover (Trifolium incarnatum) is a legume. This means it fixes nitrogen. Legumes like red clover are great for adding nitrogen to the soil. Another good benefit of red clover is that it flowers and attracts and feeds any pollinators that are still visiting your garden later in the year. If you sow it early enough in the fall, it should flower once before winter, helping to support your local pollinator population.
Red clover is best used in zones 6 and higher. Sow it in late summer or early fall, let it die over winter, and turn it over in early spring to enrich the soil. You can buy Survival Garden Seeds Crimson Clover seeds from Amazon.
2. Hairy Vetch
Hairy vetch (Vicia villosa) has similar properties to red clover and is a great way to recharge your soil over winter. It is a nitrogen-fixing legume that flowers, to the benefit of pollinators. For a cover crop that dies over winter, use hairy vetch in zones 5 and up. However, the soil must have good drainage, or it won’t grow well.
These are some of the best cover crops for winter soil prep – just sow in late summer and early fall, then turn them into the ground in spring. You can also grow hairy vetch in early spring and use it as an early-season mulch. You can buy Seedville USA Russian Vetch Hairy Crown Vetch seeds from Walmart.
3. Oats
Oats make a good cover crop for several reasons. They are inexpensive, they grow rapidly, and they are adaptable to various conditions. As a cool-season annual cereal, you can grow oats in the fall and work them into the soil in the spring. They reliably winter-kill in zones 6 and higher (they die with exposure to very cold temperatures), and typically in zone 7 as well.
They are great cover crops for veggie gardens. Oats are not legumes, but they offer good erosion control, weed suppression and (if you keep any animals) forage. They also have extensive root systems that are good for soil that has become compacted over the summer. You can buy five-pack bundles of Survival Garden Seeds Oats Cover Crop seeds from Walmart.
4. Cowpea
There are two strategic times to plant cowpea (Vigna unguiculata): first, in early spring, and then again in mid-late summer, while the soil is still warm. Cowpeas require warm temperatures to grow. A summer cover crop like cowpea (aka the field pea) acts like a mulch, holding moisture in the soil and suppressing weeds.
As a legume, cowpea also adds nitrogen to the soil. It’s great for cover cropping in late summer and early fall, because it grows quickly and tolerates heat. It also flowers, which is great for pollinators. You can buy a bundle pack of seeds that includes Austrian Field Pea seeds from Amazon, plus hairy vetch and crimson clover.
5. Winter Rye
Winter rye (Secale cereale), also known as cereal rye, survives winter in most areas and takes a lot of effort to turn into the soil in spring, so it is typically used in farm fields. However, if you have a large area needing protection from winter winds and erosion, winter rye could be one of the best fall and winter cover crop plants you can grow. The root system of winter rye is extensive and will also reduce compaction in the soil. You can buy Thunder Acres Organic Winter Rye seeds from Amazon.
When using cover crops, consider your location and hardiness zone, your needs for a cover crop, and whether you want it to winter-kill (die with exposure to cold winter temperatures) or not. Follow the directions on the seed packets for whichever type of cover crop you choose. It’s best to start in an area free of weeds. Add fertilizer and water your cover crop as you would any other plant. A healthy cover crop will give you better soil once it’s finished growing.
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