If you’re putting your garden to bed for fall, planting a cover crop is one of the best things you can do for your soil. Think of it like a “blanket” for your garden, as it protects the soil over winter and feeds it naturally for spring planting.
Instead of leaving beds bare, cover crops help:
✅ Prevent soil from washing or blowing away
✅ Add nutrients (especially nitrogen for next year’s vegetables)
✅ Improve soil structure and drainage
✅ Keep weeds from taking over
Even a small garden can benefit, and you don’t need special equipment to sow them.
So, what should you plant?
Here are the beginner-friendly options we carry, and what they’re best for:
| Cover Crop | Best For | Why It’s Helpful |
|---|---|---|
| Yellow Sweet Clover | Veggie gardens | Adds nitrogen + deep roots improve soil |
| Alsike Clover | Damp or clay soil | Tolerates moisture better than other clovers |
| Crimson Clover | Pollinator gardens | Blooms early in spring, feeds bees |
| White Dutch Clover | Lawn or pathways | Low-growing, living mulch, prevents erosion |
| Klondike Ladino Clover | Heavy-feeding crops | Strong nitrogen fixer for veggie beds |
| Hairy Vetch | Poor soil recovery | Excellent soil builder & winter hardy |
| Sweet Alyssum | Pollinators | Attracts beneficial insects & protects soil surface |
| Field Peas (Spring) | Soil enrichment | Fast green manure, easy to turn in |
| Field Peas (Winter) | Cold-hardy nitrogen | Adds N and protects soil into early spring |
| Buckwheat | Quick fall planting | Grows fast + smothers weeds |
| Annual Ryegrass | Weed suppression | Dense, shallow root system blocks weeds |
| Fall Rye | Erosion control | Very hardy + anchors soil through winter |
| Barley | Light winter cover | Mild winter protection + easy to work in |
| Winter Wheat | Overwintering cover | Protects soil + adds organic matter in spring |
| Oats | Raised beds | Winter-kills and becomes mulch |
When to Plant
In Ontario, the best time to sow fall cover crops is late August through October, before the ground freezes. Even a few weeks of growth makes a big difference.
What Happens in Spring?
In early spring, simply cut the cover crop down and turn it lightly into the soil (or leave it on top as mulch). As it breaks down, it feeds your garden naturally — just in time for spring planting.
Ready to Get Started?
Cover crop seeds are available now in-store at Ritchie’s, and our team can help you choose the right one for your garden.
Visit us at any of our give locations or shop online to pick up your fall seed and give your soil the healthy head start it deserves for next season.
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