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

Daikon / forage radish
Oilseed or tillage-type radish (Raphanus sativus)
Fast fall growth; winterkills in hard-freeze climates leaving pores; in mild winters roots may persist — adjust expectations.
Sorghum–sudangrass hybrid
Sorghum × drummondii (warm-season grass)
Small-garden overkill unless you have space and mower time — great for empty lots or large community beds.
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.