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Cover crops are grasses, legumes, or other herbaceous plants grown when cropland would otherwise be bare. They are planted to protect and improve soil and support a later crop—not necessarily to harvest. The right choice depends on your goal, location, planting window, next crop, and ability to terminate the cover reliably.
What are cover crops?
A cover crop occupies ground between cash crops or during another period when soil might otherwise be exposed. USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) describes the practice as planting grasses, legumes, or other herbaceous species to protect and improve soil. A cover crop may be grown alone or as a mixture; it is not automatically a harvested crop or a guaranteed source of fertilizer.
Cover crops can reduce erosion and chemical runoff, improve water infiltration, support soil organic matter and nutrient cycling, suppress some weeds, and provide seasonal habitat. Which benefits occur—and how much—depends on the species, local conditions, and management.
How do you choose a cover crop?
Start by naming the job the planting should do. Then check whether a candidate can establish in your available window and fit the following crop’s planting and water needs. There is no universally best species for every farm, garden, soil, or season.
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- Goal: Decide whether you are prioritizing soil cover, erosion control, nutrient capture, nitrogen contribution, weed suppression, water infiltration, or habitat.
- Location and conditions: Match species to local climate, soil, and production system. State-level NRCS standards and Extension recommendations can differ; a planting date or rate published for Indiana should not be assumed to suit another region.
- Calendar: Consider when the cover can be seeded, how long it can grow, its maturity, and whether it will survive winter. A species that cannot establish before a killing freeze may not deliver the intended service.
- Next crop: Fit growth and termination around the cash crop’s planting date, water needs, and nutrient demand.
- Termination capacity: Choose a species you can end reliably with the labor, equipment, and methods available. In a mixture, consider whether its components mature at compatible times.
For a regional starting point, NRCS Plant Materials Centers’ cover-crop performance and adaptation trials examine varieties for differing traits and production systems. NC State Extension’s species selector can filter options by farm location, goals, and operation. USDA Climate Hubs also describes a Northeast selector with filters for traits, environmental tolerances, planting and growth windows, weed suppression, mycorrhizal support, and termination methods.
How do you plan planting and establishment?
A cover crop must have enough time to germinate and develop for its intended purpose. Use local planting windows and seeding rates rather than transferring figures from a guide written for a different climate. The Indiana NRCS overview discusses seeding windows and methods and advises choosing a species or mixture that fits the planting date and has time to establish before a killing freeze or develop roots for winter survival.
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- IMPROVES SOIL HEALTH & FERTILITY: Helps fix nitrogen, add organic matter, and improve soil structure for better growing conditions season after season
- FAST GROWING COVER FOR SPRING & FALL: Establishes quickly to protect bare soil, suppress weeds, and improve soil between planting seasons
- NATURAL NITROGEN FIXATION: Winter peas and hairy vetch work together to naturally add nitrogen back into the soil, reducing fertilizer needs
- WEED SUPPRESSION & SOIL PROTECTION: Dense growth shades out weeds and helps reduce erosion while keeping your soil covered
- Set the objective and following-crop date. Work backward from when the next crop must be planted and decide how much cover-crop growth is practical.
- Select a locally adapted species or mixture. Check regional guidance for planting timing, winter survival, maturity, and suitability for your soil and production system.
- Choose seed and a seeding method that fit the plan. When sourcing cover crop seeds, check local suitability, planting window, seed quality and labeling, and whether the resulting growth can be terminated with your available method.
- Decide the termination method and timing before seeding. This prevents a vigorous or late-maturing cover from colliding with the next crop’s schedule.
How do you terminate a cover crop?
Termination means ending the cover crop’s growth. Plan it from the outset: while alive, a cover can compete with the next crop for water, nutrients, and light. USDA NRCS Indiana’s March 2024 termination guidance describes several options; what is practical depends on species, scale, equipment, and the production system.
- Winterkill: Use a species that dies in winter where that outcome fits the plan. Winterkill is not a dependable approach for every species or location.
- Mowing or cutting: Cut growth with suitable equipment; whether this ends growth depends on the plant and timing.
- Crimping: Flatten and damage stems to terminate or suppress suitable cover crops. Confirm that the species and growth stage respond reliably.
- Tarping or solarization: Cover the ground to suppress or kill plants. Practicality depends on area, materials, weather, and system.
- Mulch or tillage: Manage or incorporate the cover and its residue with methods appropriate to the planting system.
- Chemical termination: Use only where appropriate and in accordance with the product label and applicable requirements.
Methods can sometimes be combined. Terminated biomass may return nutrients to the soil and form mulch that suppresses weeds and helps retain soil moisture. The timing changes how much residue accumulates and how quickly nutrients become available: later termination can increase biomass and weed-suppression potential, while earlier termination can conserve moisture for the next crop. The right balance is local and crop-specific.
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- 13 different varieties of THE most popular cover crops in the community in 1 bag = balanced bio-diversity
- Inoculated with Rhizobium; Encourages Beneficial Mycorrhizal Fungi populations to thrive, which literally help deliver nutrients to the roots of the plants
- Bio-diverse array of cover crop varieties attracts wide variety of beneficial organisms & predators which contribute to soil fertility and humus quality
- Perfect for Raised Beds and/or No-Till Container Gardening
- Nitro-Coated, All-Natural Non-GMO Seed Mix, From USA only
Legumes and nitrogen timing
Legumes can contribute nitrogen through biological fixation, but they are not an automatic replacement for fertilizer. Species-specific inoculant needs and termination timing matter. Indiana NRCS guidance says legumes add the most plant-available nitrogen when terminated in early bloom; it advises considering the next crop’s nitrogen needs, soil, season, weather, and cover-crop carbon-to-nitrogen ratio when setting the method and timing. Treat that as regional management guidance, not a universal prescription.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What benefits and risks should you expect?
NRCS lists potential soil and water benefits, including reduced erosion and chemical runoff, improved infiltration, and support for soil organic matter and nutrient availability. Some cover crops can suppress weeds or support beneficial soil organisms, and flowering species may attract beneficial insects. These outcomes depend on the species and its management; planting a cover crop alone does not guarantee them.
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- Bio-diverse array of cover crop varieties attracts wide variety of beneficial organisms & predators which contribute to soil fertility and humus quality
- Perfect for Raised Beds and/or No-Till Container Gardening
- High-Quality, Nitro-Coated, All-Natural Non-GMO Seed Mix, From USA only
Yield effects are also not guaranteed to be positive. The Associated Press reported on a 2022 satellite study of fields in Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, Michigan, Missouri, and Ohio that found average yield declines of 5.5% for corn and 3.5% for soybeans in fields using cover crops for three or more years. The report described variation by cover type, soil moisture, and soil quality, and cautioned that satellite field estimates are less precise than on-the-ground studies. Those results describe the fields and method studied, not a universal effect of cover crops.
Where can you find local guidance?
Use state Extension and NRCS resources for locally relevant species, planting windows, and rates. The NRCS performance and adaptation trials can help compare variety traits; NC State Extension’s selector helps narrow choices by location and goals. For management examples, see Indiana NRCS cover crop termination and its Cover Crops—NRCS Practice Code 340. The Indiana-specific guidance is useful for planning, but its local dates and rates should not be carried into another region without checking local recommendations.
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