Untitled Document EB1824 Introduction Cover crops provide many benefits in gardens and agriculture, including protecting the soil from runoff and erosion, recycling and supplying nutrients, replacing soil organic matter, and suppressing weeds. Your choice of a cover crop will depend on which benefits are most important to you. This bulletin describes the benefits of cover crops, different types of cover crops and their suitability for different situations, and how to grow and manage cover crops in your garden.
Cover crops are plants grown to cover the soil during idle periods.
Gardeners usually plant cover crops in the fall for winter cover, but some gardeners also use cover crops as part of a summer rotation. When cover crops are returned to the soil, they supply plant nutrients and organic matter. Choosing a Cover Crop Table 1 lists benefits provided by cover crops. No one cover crop provides all of these benefits. Different cover crops offer different benefits and disadvantages.