overwintering Winter cover crops

There's been quite a bit of discussion in some of the grow logs about the benefits of winter cover crops for outdoor gardens.  It's pretty well established that such crops are beneficial in protecting exposed soil from erosion and nutrient leaching, and adding valuable nutrients to the soil when tilled in in the spring two or three weeks before planting.  Two of the problems I've run into are local availability of seed and the high online prices for small quantities for pepper patch-sized plots.  I'm starting this thread to gauge whether people's interest in winter cover-cropping is sufficient for me to justify buying seed in bulk and breaking it down into smaller packages for distribution at prices significantly better than what you can find at some of the more well-established online seed stores.
 
Right now I'm considering rye, oats, barley, wheat, hairy vetch, winter pea, long-rooted radish, and buckwheat.  (If you have a particular hankering for something else, let me know.)  A common winter cover crop mix is hairy vetch or winter pea combined with one or more of the winter grains.  Planted anytime now through November or later (depending on where you live), this combination will become established before the hard freeze of winter and remain more or less dormant until an early spring growth spurt.  Radish can be included to penetrate the subsoil to loosen the soil and bring up nutrients, but a hard freeze will usually kill them.  The crop can be mowed and tilled a couple of weeks before planting.  A good stand of hairy vetch can almost eliminate the need to add extra nitrogen the following season (heavy feeders like corn and onions excepted).  Buckwheat is not at all winter hardy, but it is very fast growing.  Planted now, it can be tilled in for added organic matter before planting the main winter cover crop.
 
I'm putting together a chart breaking down sowing rates from the standard pounds per acre to a more relevant pounds (or ounces) per square foot, along with pricing.  I'll post this later in a forum ad in the appropriate section, but for now, please indicate your interest by replying to this thread.  If you can estimate the square foot area you would be planting, that will help.  Please don't PM me; my inbox is about 95% full as it is.
 
 

Great idea. Will be a great source for information.
 
ADD:
 
I would be in for at least 2k sq ft worth, maybe more depending on pricing to do the entire garden no just my pepper rows.
 
 
Hairy vetch, peas, and radishes I think would be a good spread for me.  If others are in there so be it.

I was looking into this after I saw it in a few glogs.  Seems like a good idea and I would be onboard, however my garden is only about 500sq ft.  I will be following.

I was considering rye but maybe there's a better solution. I might be interested. About 2k sqft.

Thanks Sawyer for posting. I was having some trouble at first finding seed, high shipping is definatly an issue. Luckly, I was able to find a local supply near my work.
 
Found this and wanted to drop in here for those that are interested but undecided on type of cover crop to choose, good info in here.
Free book download......http://www.sare.org/Learning-Center/Books/Managing-Cover-Crops-Profitably-3rd-Edition

Some additional info on cover crops, by Harvey Ussery......
 
http://www.motherearthnews.com/organic-gardening/cover-crops-zm0z11zsto.aspx?newsletter=1&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_term=GFSS%20eNews&utm_campaign=9.5.14%20GFSS#axzz3CRzwLutB
 
By the way, if you're thinking about raising chickens, Harvey wrote an excellent book on how to go about it.

Great resources, guys, thanks for posting.

I've been using cover crops for years for all the reasons mentioned above.
 
I'm here to tell you, it IS worth the effort. Give yourself at least 30 days between tilling it under and planting your crop if you want a clean look in your garden, as it likes to "come back". And additional tilling is needed if that's your goal.
 
Here in Tejas I use Crimson Clover and Rye. I learned last year to plant the clover first and then seed in the rye or the rye over-runs the clover. Here, if I leave the rye in too long the root system becomes hard to till under if left too long. I do like the rye to get high enough to create it's "own weather", this is when it dews up in the morning and watering is no longer needed. I strive to get two cover crops planted each fall. Oats and winter wheat are also great grain cover crops down here.

Okay, there hasn't really been enough interest expressed here for me to invest in bulk purchases.  For those who did express interest, I strongly encourage you to inquire with your local county extension agent  or farmer's cooperative about getting some seed.  I'll revisit this if there is a sudden rush of interest or maybe again next year.  In any case, here is the price list I worked up for the products I was considering.  This is not an ad, but for information purposes only.
 

 
If you were to plant only a single crop, go with the higher sow rates.  Go with the lower rates for mixed crops.
 
Shipping would be an additional charge.  A few ounces would fit in a bubble envelope and the last I checked, those were still 88¢ for much of the US.  I would think a MFRB would the largest/most expensive option @ $12.65, though I would explore less expensive options.  I can only ship within the USA.
 
Note that buckwheat is not cold hardy by any stretch, but I included it because planted even this late, it could generate a quick green manure crop to be turned under before winter.

Guessing maybe next year more will catch on. For some its probably too late to start even. Thanks for the doing the leg work on the listing. I will be working up an order for stuff this coming week.

I planted a cover crop for the first time in my garlic garden this year.  I harvested the garlic in July, then seeded with Crimson Clover and Rye at the same time.  I didn't have any problem with the rye taking over the clover.  The cover crop has been cut down to 6" once a month ago and its about 18" tall again.  I plan on tilling it under in mid October to give it a chance for any stragglers to grow and get pulled, then planting garlic in late Nov to early Dec. 
 
I've got my peppers in a raised bed, and have been trying to decide if I want to just cover the beds with a tarp or plant a cover crop in them.  I'm in Seattle and it rains all winter long, and I don't really want the expose bare soil being rained on for 4 months straight. 

turbo said:

I planted a cover crop for the first time in my garlic garden this year.  I harvested the garlic in July, then seeded with Crimson Clover and Rye at the same time.  I didn't have any problem with the rye taking over the clover.  The cover crop has been cut down to 6" once a month ago and its about 18" tall again.  I plan on tilling it under in mid October to give it a chance for any stragglers to grow and get pulled, then planting garlic in late Nov to early Dec. 
 
I've got my peppers in a raised bed, and have been trying to decide if I want to just cover the beds with a tarp or plant a cover crop in them.  I'm in Seattle and it rains all winter long, and I don't really want the expose bare soil being rained on for 4 months straight. 

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Not sure how much luck you'd have getting it to germinate planted now, but hairy vetch (+ a grain) would protect your soil and provide nitrogen for next spring's pepper planting.  You can contact your local extension agent for information on planting times for your area.

There are several winter crops that will still germinate all the way up to late October up here in Seattle, since we have pretty mind winter conditions.  Winter peas is the one I was thinking about since they also add nitrogen to the soil.

Sawyer said:

Okay, there hasn't really been enough interest expressed here for me to invest in bulk purchases.  For those who did express interest, I strongly encourage you to inquire with your local county extension agent  or farmer's cooperative about getting some seed.  I'll revisit this if there is a sudden rush of interest or maybe again next year.  In any case, here is the price list I worked up for the products I was considering.  This is not an ad, but for information purposes only.
 

 
If you were to plant only a single crop, go with the higher sow rates.  Go with the lower rates for mixed crops.
 
Shipping would be an additional charge.  A few ounces would fit in a bubble envelope and the last I checked, those were still 88¢ for much of the US.  I would think a MFRB would the largest/most expensive option @ $12.65, though I would explore less expensive options.  I can only ship within the USA.
 
Note that buckwheat is not cold hardy by any stretch, but I included it because planted even this late, it could generate a quick green manure crop to be turned under before winter.

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Pricing is excellent. I have already purchased mine for this year, but could be interested next year.
 
I notice you're not into clovers or clover mixes as a cover. Any particular reason?
 
Great idea you have here. Thanks for the effort.

DownRiver said:

 
I notice you're not into clovers or clover mixes as a cover. Any particular reason?

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No, not really.  I've just had experience with everything I listed and not clover.  Plus I was focusing primarily on cold-hardy crops, except for the buckwheat.  Scott (Devv) manages an early cover of crimson clover before he plants his main winter cover.  Living in warmer climes, he has time to get in a couple of cover crops.  I could certainly source some clover from the same places I was looking at for everything else, if the interest were strong enough.

I have never grown a winter cover crop but I do have 13 Comfrey plants that I use for biomass and nitrogen.

Proud Marine Dad said:

I have never grown a winter cover crop but I do have 13 Comfrey plants that I use for biomass and nitrogen.

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Quite a few of the growers here have comfrey, I think.  Reading about it earlier this year, I was convinced.  I now have six Bocking #14 plants fairly well established.  I planted them back in June, but the rabbits are keeping them well-pruned.  Just yesterday I planted 15 roots crowns and 5 root cuttings of Bocking #4.  I also have seed for regular comfrey, but haven't planted them yet.