Cover Crops

Cover Crops

Cover crops are a staple in sustainable agriculture. They are low cost, easy to maintain, and earth-friendly. In the end, planting cover crop seed benefits the soil, the crop, and the grower. Shop a large selection of forage, green manure, nitrogen fixation, and no-till cover crops.

The Annual Ryegrass is a very fast growing grass that makes for a great cover crop as its fibrous roots prevent soil erosion and build organic matter! Plant this grass early fall to late fall, or early to mid-spring and can germinate in cool weather. The Annual Ryegrass established protective cover quickly and over seeds well at higher rates. This grass can scavenge as much as 200 pounds of nitrogen per acre. When used as a spring cover crop, this Annual Ryegrass should be killed before reaching seed formation stage. Ryegrass (Lolium sp.) Uses: Erosion Control, Green Manure, Nitrogen Scavenger, No Till, Organic Matter (Biomass), Weed Suppression

The Austrian Winter Pea, sometimes called black pea or field pea, is a great cool season legume for cover crops, wildlife and winter grazing! This cool-season, annual legume has good, nitrogen-fixing capabilities. The Austrian Winter Pea is a low-growing, viny legume which has been shown to fix over 200 pounds of nitrogen per acre per year. It has hollow, slender and succulent stems, 2 to 4 feet long. The foliage is pale green, and the flowers are colored, usually purple, pink or reddish. Uses: Chicken forage, deer attractant, forage, green manure, nitrogen fixation, no till, organic matter (biomass), weed suppression

The Barkant Forage Turnip is an improved, early maturing, diploid turnip variety with a large purple tankard shaped bulb. Turnips have a high leaf to stem ratio and and provide very high concentrations of protein, sugar content and leaf yields. This turnip is ideally suited for grazing and it is common to obtain 4-6 tons of dry matter per acre of this high-energy feed.  Uses: Chicken forage, deer attractant, forage

Dwarf Essex Rape (Brassica napus) is a fast-growing, cold-hardy forage crop commonly used for livestock grazing, wildlife food plots, and soil improvement. This leafy brassica produces high-protein, highly digestible forage that remains palatable even in colder temperatures, making it an excellent choice for fall and winter grazing. It is drought-resistant and can thrive in various soil types, providing a nutritious food source for deer, cattle, and other grazing animals. Additionally, its deep root system helps improve soil structure and reduce erosion. Due to its rapid regrowth, Dwarf Essex Rape is a valuable option for sustainable pasture management.

The Jackhammer Radish is a fast growing daikon radish variety that is a great scavenger that will start germinating immediately! This variety is very easy to grow. The Jackhammer Radish is good for winter kills and turns into great biomass. Radish (Brassica): Cool Season, broadleaf, Annual, Upright and spreading habit, Root Crop Uses: Nitrogen Scavenger, Green Manure, Forage, Organic Matter, Weed Suppression

The Sunn Hemp is a legume that makes an excellent cover crop as it is great for nitrogen fixation and nematode resistance in the soil. This legume is a fast-growing legume that produces significant quantities of biomass and fixes nitrogen into the soil with a short rotation of 60 days under optimum conditions. Plant the Sunn Hemp at least 8 weeks before first frost. For maximum benefit terminate crop at first flowering, prior to developing fibrous, hard-to-manage stalks. This legume is tolerant of dry conditions. Avg. 15,000 seeds/lb. Uses: Compaction Control, Erosion Control, Green Manure, Nitrogen Fixation, Organic Matter (Biomass), Weed Suppression

The Texas Cream is a heavy yielding Southern cowpea that is great for fresh shelling. This variety is very similarly to 'Sadandy' but the cowpeas are slightly larger. These bush-type plants are prolific and thrive in hotter, Southern weather. Texas Cream is a "cream pea" type variety, they are generally used at the fresh shelling stage. Treated Seed.

A multipurpose cover crop blend that is sowed in fall! This wonderful blend will help with nitrogen fixation, adding organic matter and weed suppression. Contains a blend of Austrian Field Peas, Crimson Clover, Hairy Vetch, Annual and Winter Rye. Cut right after flowering in spring and till into soil for green manure. (30% Field Pea, 20% Crimson Clover, 20% Hairy Vetch, 15% Annual Rye, 15% Winter Rye) Seed Coverage: - 5 lbs covers 2,000-4,000 sqaure feet - 100 lbs covers 1-2 acres Uses: Green Manure, Nitrogen Fixation, No Till, Organic Matter (Biomass), Weed Suppression

The Winter Wheat is a cool weather grain that is quick to germinate, cold tolerant and is adaptable to a wide range of soils! This wheat can be sown in late summer for erosion control and tilled under in early spring to add organic matter. The Winter Wheat is winter hardy nearly anywhere, and won't go to seed until its second year of growth. Use: Erosion Control, Green Manure, Nitrogen Scavenger, No Till, Weed Suppression

The Sweet Clover is a legume that is exceptional for not only attracting honey bees to the garden, but also creating green manure! This clover can grow nearly anywhere under most conditions. The Sweet Clover is our favorite clover because it is more versatile than other clovers at nitrogen fixating, erosion control and attracting beneficial insects. This variety is slow to establish the first year but comes on fast the following year and can produce up to 170 lb. of nitrogen per acre. The Sweet Clover comes OMRI Pre-inoculated. Uses: Bees & Beneficial Insects, Chicken Forage, Compaction Control, Deer Attractant, Erosion Control, Forage, Green Manure, Nitrogen Fixation, No Till, Weed Suppression

When sown late summer, the Hairy Vetch spring regrowth is vigorous and nitrogen-producing, for tilling in before planting spring garden crops. You can sow with or without grain, grass or field peas! The typical nitrogen produced of this legume is 100 lbs. per acre. The Hairy Vetch has rapid growth that makes it a good weed suppressant. Uses: Bees & Beneficial Insects, Chicken Forage, Deer Attractant, Erosion Control, Forage, Green Manure, Nitrogen Fixation, No Till, Weed Suppression

Using the Field Peas and Oats Blend throughout your garden is a great way to fix nitrogen and add organic matter to the soil! This blend contains a great ratio of grass and legume cover crop for fixing nitrogen, winter cover, weed suppression and more. The Field Peas and Oats Blend should be sown from early spring to late summer. Sow no later than 6 weeks before first fall frost in your area. This variety is gold hardy enough to grow long into the fall leaving behind a great mulch for soil protection. (75% peas / 25% oats by weight) Seed Coverage: - 5 lbs covers 2,000-4,000 sqaure feet - 100 lbs covers 1-2 acres Uses: Deer Attractant, Green Manure, Nitrogen Fixation, No Till, Organic Matter (Biomass), Weed Suppression