Cover crops

Pick a goal or the crop you are following, then open a note for timing and caveats. Pairs with What can I grow? and companion planting when you plan successions.

Goal

Any Nitrogen fixation Biomass / organic matter Weed suppression Quick turnover (≈6–8 wk)Winter / shoulder season Pollinator support Soil structure / deep roots

After this crop

Rough rotation memory for what the last planting tended to demand — not a soil test.

Any Tomato / pepper / eggplant Brassicas Squash / cucumber / melon Corn Beans / peas Lettuce / greens Carrot / roots Onion / garlic

Crimson clover
Crimson clover (Trifolium incarnatum)
Winter-killed or semi-hardy depending on zone — check your USDA band. Pretty spring flowers; moderate biomass compared to rye.
Hairy vetch
Hairy vetch (Vicia villosa)
Strong winter cover in many zones with excellent spring biomass — can become weedy if allowed to set seed.
Field peas + oats
Austrian winter field pea (Pisum sativum subsp. arvense) with oats (Avena sativa)
Beginner-friendly mix: oats winter-kill in cold zones while peas may overwinter lightly; tune seed ratio to your winter.
White clover (living mulch)
White Dutch or New Zealand white clover (Trifolium repens)
Perennial mindset: best for paths, bed shoulders, or orchards — not always ideal inside dense annual rotations unless you manage it aggressively.
Sunn hemp
Sunn hemp (Crotalaria juncea)
Tropical legume: treat as a summer cover where frost ends the stand cleanly; check local legality — a few states restrict seed.