Prioritize Drainage
Before even planting a cover crop, evaluate your drainage. Whether it’s tile drainage or natural drainage, a well-drained field is crucial for success. Poor drainage can lead to failed cover crops and frustration.
Pick the Right Species for Overwintering
Many beginners use radishes and spring oats, but these die off in cold temperatures, leaving the soil unprotected in early spring. Instead, consider:
- Winter Barley (½ bushel) – Breaks down quickly but isn't always winter hardy.
- Wheat (½ bushel) – Provides backup if winter barley doesn’t survive.
- Rapeseed & Austrian Winter Pea – Contribute to biodiversity and nitrogen fixation.
With these species, you’ll have a diverse mix that helps improve soil health and retains ground cover through winter.
Adjust Your Management Practices
Cover cropping isn't a "set it and forget it" practice, it requires new management strategies. For example, when transitioning to corn, strip-tilling helps determine when to terminate the cover crop in spring. If wheat and barley start growing over the strips, terminate early to allow for warmer, cleaner seedbeds. If conditions are cool and dry, planting green may be an option before terminating with herbicide. Plant green to maintain a living root as long as possible.
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