Jeff Hill — What You Need to Know about Cover Crops

Jeff Hill has an Associate’s Degree in agriculture business and a Bachelor’s Degree in Plant Science.

Cover crops are the crops that protect and enrich the soil. They are probably some of the hardest-working plants on the planet. While they rarely yield immediate tangible or edible benefits such as tomatoes or cucumbers, they do suppress weeds, prevent erosion, increase microorganisms, stabilize nutrients, help control pests and allow the soil to stay productive. In addition to this, cover crops require minimal care and are very easy to plant. They also grow well in any part of the United States.

There are three steps to increasing the productivity of your garden or yard with cover crops.

Planting

Planting cover crops is as easy as reseeding a bare patch on a lawn. Prepare the soil gently with a rake, put the seeds in and rake them in. Raking allows the seeds to have a good contact with the soil and protects them from birds. For the cover crops to grow, you need to plant them at least a month before rigid frosts. Cereal rye can be planted right before a frost and is the only exception from the rule.

Care

Cover crops require minimal maintenance. Mowing keeps them manageable and doesn’t allow them to compete with vegetables and flowers. You also need to water cover crops during the droughts.

Killing

You must kill the cover crops before their growth gets out of control. Agriculture experts like Jeff Hill learn in school that the best time to kill cover crops is when they start having seed heads.