Cover crops for cold-winter gardens — print version.
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SUS Farms · Utah Gardening
Cover crops for cold-winter gardens
soil · intermediate · ~6 min read
A cover crop is a living mulch that grows when the bed is otherwise empty. It feeds the soil, suppresses weeds, fixes nitrogen, and prevents erosion. In a Utah backyard, the simplest play is cereal rye + hairy vetch sown in mid-September, terminated in mid-April.
What to plant
Cereal rye is the indestructible workhorse — germinates at 34°F, survives our winters, stays green under snow. Hairy vetch is the nitrogen partner — it climbs the rye and fixes 50–150 lb of N per acre.
When and how to sow
Sow 3–4 weeks before first frost. Broadcast 2 oz per 100 sq ft of seed onto the bed surface, rake in lightly, water once. Don't fertilize.
How to terminate
In April, when rye reaches the boot stage, crimp the stems against the ground with a board. The rye dies in place, leaves a thick mat of mulch, and you transplant tomatoes through it 3 weeks later.
What NOT to do
Don't let rye or vetch go to seed — both will become weeds in the same bed for years. Crimp before flowering, no exceptions.