Rye is easily the largest volume cover crop species in all of North America. With rye’s ability to alleviate compaction, reduce water and wind erosion, sequester nutrients, suppress weeds and nematodes, and provide forage, it could arguably be called the G.O.A.T.

Our selection of cover crop and grain seeds includes many different plant species. Whether grown for soil improvement (hairy vetch, winter peas, rape), or to harvest for use as grain (rice, millet, quinoa, flax, chuffa),in the home garden they tend to be sown on a larger scale than many vegetable types.

Cover Crops

• Grains – like annual grasses, rye, oats, and wheat These crops build biomass and break up soil compaction with extensive root systems.
• Legumes – like peas, soybeans, clover, and vetch These are commonly known as nitrogen-fixers.

Examples of cover crops are annual ryegrass, crimson clover, oats, oil-seed radishes, and cereal rye. Cover crops are grown for a variety of reasons: Reducing soil compaction.

Oats are an ideal choice for farmers in search of a low-cost, reliable cover crop. They grow the best in well-drained soil and under cool and moist conditions. Some benefits of oats are: Nutrient increase: When planted early, oats take up excess nitrogen and phosphorous in the soil.

Initial declines in available water are often offset by later, long-term increases [23]. Other limitations of cover crops include expenditures for new equipment, more complicated management practices and time spent seeding and terminating cover crops rather than managing cash crops [23].

A cover crop disadvantage for commercial farmers is cost. Additionally, cover crops may reduce or increase the soil’s moisture effects based on weather conditions or management practices. Furthermore, cover crops may be difficult to include with tillage. Occasionally, cover crops increase insect pests and disease.

We farmers and ranchers are told that we need to plant cover crops to protect the soil, build soil organic matter, reduce input costs, reduce runoff and erosion, and even feed our next cash crop. So more producers are trying out cover crops in an effort to improve their bottom lines. And sometimes they fail.

These fast-growing crops are used primarily to suppress weeds and add organic matter. Common choices are sudangrass (or sorghum-sudangrass) and buckwheat. Both grow rapidly if there is sufficient warmth, moisture and fertility.

In no-till cover crop systems, the known benefits of cover crops are maximized by allowing them to grow until shortly before planting the vegetable or other cash crop, and by managing the cover crop without tillage. They do not suppress the vegetable through chemical (allelopathic) or microbial effects.

Cover crops are “green manures” when a gardener turns them into the soil to provide organic matter and nutrients. Green manures include legumes such as vetch, clover, beans and peas; grasses such as annual ryegrass, oats, rapeseed, winter wheat and winter rye; and buckwheat.

Phacelia is a wonderful plant for attracting bees and other beneficial insects, particularly useful in early spring if it has overwintered as it is an early pollen source for bees coming out of hibernation.

Phacelia (phacelia, scorpionweed, heliotrope) is a genus of about 200 species of annual or perennial herbaceous plants, native to North and South America. California is particularly rich in species with over 90 recorded in the region.

Cucumber, Tomato, Kale, Broccoli and Cabbage. Mixes well with other cool-season flowers such as orange calendulas, or you can use phacelia as a cover crop or bee plant.

Lacy Phacelia can be transplanted or direct-seeded. For cut flower applications, transplanting is favorable. This flower variety grows great in our heavy-duty seed starting trays with Pro-Mix Organic Seed Starting Mix.

Slugs and snails tend to ignore the seedlings so if you have problems with these pests Phacelia is the right plant for you. The flowers produce lots of nectar and will attract countless honeybees, bumblebees and other pollinators (the German name for this plant is Friend-of-the-bees or Bee-feast).

Water my lacy phacelia Then, except in case of severe drought, additional inputs will not be needed. In pots, water once a week if it does not rain.

Lacy Phacelia loves to spread, and if you don’t want it to, you will need to deadhead the flowers. Just pinch off any dead or wilting blooms before they can scatter seeds. Other than deadheading, it doesn’t need much maintenance, and there is no need to prune these plants.

The usual common name is “lacy phacelia.” “Tansy” is an unrelated plant (Tanacetum vulgare), with gold flowers, that’s widely considered invasive.

However, its beneficial characteristics of being an attractive pollinator plant often outway its weedy tendencies as it is easy to till back into the soil adding nitrogen. It has a taproot and dense fibrous roots as well. It is drought tolerant, prefers full sun, and withstands sandy or rocky soil.