In this episode, we get into why cover crops work in both in-ground beds and raised planters, which ones perform best when you sow them in fall, and which ones are worth a spot in your rotation come spring. We'll look at nitrogen-fixing legumes like crimson clover and hairy vetch, soil-building grasses like winter rye and oats, and fast-growing summer options like buckwheat that can turn a bare bed around in a matter of weeks.
Then we'll cover how to actually terminate a cover crop, whether that's mowing, crimping, tarping, or letting winter do the work for you, so it feeds your soil instead of becoming a weed problem of its own.
Let's dig in!
References and Resources:
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University of Maryland Extension — Cover Crops For Gardens: umd.edu/resource/cover-crops-gardens
University of Maryland Extension — Offing Cover Crops for Weed Suppression: Featuring the Roller Crimper and Other Mechanical Contraptions: umd.edu/resource/offing-cover-crops-weed-suppression
University of New Hampshire Extension — Cover Cropping for the Home Garden [fact sheet]: unh.edu/resource/cover-cropping-home-garden-fact-sheet
University of Missouri Integrated Pest Management, Missouri Environment & Garden — Cover Crops Improve Garden Soil: missouri.edu/meg/2014/9/Cover-Crops-Improve-Garden-Soil
Oregon State University Extension — Buckwheat Makes a Good Summer Cover Crop for Gardens: oregonstate.edu/news/buckwheat-makes-good-summer-cover-crop-gardens
Cornell Cooperative Extension Vegetable Program, Cover Crop Guide for NY Growers — Buckwheat as a Summer Cover Crop for Weed Suppression: org/blog/buckwheat-as-a-summer-cover-crop-for-weed-suppression
UF/IFAS Extension Duval County — Cover Crop Termination: What Do I Do When It's Over?: ifas.ufl.edu/duvalco/2025/09/15/cover-crop-termination-what-do-i-do-when-its-over
Purdue University Center for New Crops and Plants Products — Hairy Vetch: purdue.edu/newcrop/afcm/vetch.html
USDA Agricultural Research Service — Crimson Clover Cover Crop Fact Sheet (PDF): usda.gov/ARSUserFiles/60100500/FactSheets/FS04e.pdf
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