2020 Spring Cover Crop Sale

Pre-order is closed for 2020! If you would still like to order cover crops, please contact the office at 419-893-1966 to see what is still available.

Buckwheat (front bed); Austrian winter pea (rear bed)

Why Cover Crops?

Cover crop mixes help to reduce erosion and compaction, and increase water permeation in the garden. They also hold minerals normally leached from your soil over the winter. Densely planted cover crops will suppress perennial and winter annual weed growth. The top growth and roots add organic matter to the garden soil. The cover crop’s root system also opens passageways that help improve air and water movement and supports microbial life. This microbial life works synergistically with the roots, bacteria, and fungi to improve soil health.
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All gardens benefit from the use of cover crops, or “green manures”, planted at the end of the season. Tilling, weeding, harvesting, and foot traffic tend to destroy soil structure. Planting cover crops is an easy way to revitalize your soil. Cover crops are planted in vacant space and can be worked into the soil. Traditionally, cover crops are either plowed under, crushed, cut, or pulled and used for mulch or compost. Cutting dense residue may help to avoid the potential negative reactions between rotting residues and new plantings. In addition, composting the cuttings may produce a more balanced soil amendment compared to chopping raw-crop residue directly into the soil.