Oats tolerate wet and heavy soils better than other cover crops, but oats are susceptible to early winterkill. Winterkill is less of a problem in the Willamette Valley. Spring barley is an early cover crop that is similar to oats in growth characteristics. It is also susceptible to disease and occasional winterkill. Barley produces a large amount of leaves, but most of its growth comes late in the spring.
Winter barley is also available, but is only slightly more winter hardy than spring barley.
Triticale grows similarly to cereal rye but produces more vegetation. It is a leafier plant than rye and may decompose more easily when turned under. Triticale seed is often hard to find locally, but it is available through some seed catalogs. Expect to pay a higher price for triticale seed at this time. Annual ryegrass is a turfgrass rather than a cereal grass.