Cover crops are an effective way to improve soil health, suppress weeds, and provide other benefits to a raised bed food garden. By choosing the right cover crop for your growing conditions, planting at the right time, and following good maintenance practices, you can enjoy a healthier and more productive garden. Whether you are an experienced gardener or just starting out, incorporating cover crops into your raised bed garden is a great way to maximize the benefits of this popular gardening method.

Our favorite is mustard

What are cover crops?

Cover crops, also known as green manure, are plants that are grown to cover and protect the soil. They are usually planted between crops, one bed per year or during the off-season. Although traditional organic gardeners till the cuttings into the soil, we never use tilling in transformational gardening. Cover crops can include legumes, grasses, or a mixture of both.

Why use cover crops in raised beds?

•   Improved soil health: Cover crops can help to improve soil structure, nutrient cycling, and organic matter content. They can also help to reduce soil erosion, improve soil aeration and improve water infiltration.

•   Weed suppression: Cover crops can help to suppress weeds by shading the soil and competing with weeds for nutrients and water.

•   Pest and disease management: Some cover crops can attract beneficial insects, such as pollinators and predators of garden pests. They can also help to reduce the incidence of soil-borne diseases.

•   Nutrient management: Cover crops can help to scavenge nutrients from the soil that might otherwise be lost, and then return those nutrients to the soil when their cuttings become mulch.

How to use cover crops in raised beds

Choose the right cover crop: Select a cover crop that will thrive in the growing conditions of your raised bed garden. For example, if you have a sunny bed with well-draining soil, you might choose a cover crop like clover or buckwheat. If you have a shadier bed with heavier soil, you might choose a cover crop like oats or rye.

Timing: Determine the best time to plant the cover crop based on the growing season and crop rotation. In general, it is best to plant cover crops in the fall, after the summer crops have been harvested, or in the early spring before the summer crops are planted.

Planting: Broadcast the cover crop seed evenly over the soil surface, and then gently rake the soil to cover the seed. Be sure to follow the recommended seeding rate for the particular cover crop you are planting.

Maintenance: Water the cover crop as needed to ensure good germination and growth. If the cover crop becomes too tall, cut it down to prevent it from going to seed and becoming a weed.

Don’t till in the dead cover crop cuttings. Follow the ”no till, no dig, no pull” rule. Instead cut it down at soil level and use as a mulch on top of the soil. If the cuttings are more that 6” long cut them up.

Making mulch: Mix other clipping and straw into the cover crop cuttings.

Succession planting: After the cover crop has been tilled into the soil, you can plant your summer crops. If you are using a cover crop in the fall, you may need to plant a winter cover crop to protect the soil during the winter months.