All Cover Crop Species

Buckwheat is fast to establish and brings many soil improvement benefits. Growing well in lighter soil types but easily damaged by cold weather.

• Fast establishing 
• Creates a dense canopy which aids weed suppression.
• Sow from May onwards once all risk of frost has passed.
• Sowing rate: 50kg / ha

A low growing green cover crop which fixes nitrogen and suppresses weeds. Often sown amongst brassica crops.

• A perennial that gives good yields even on thin calcareous soils.
• May be grazed by sheep, main use is as a green manure undersown in cereals.
• Low growth habit makes it useful in vegetable intercropping systems.
• Sowing rate: 5kg per acre. Pack size: 5kg

Ethiopian mustard is a fast growing frost hardy, brassica which produces a dense leafy canopy and acts as an excellent weed suppressor.

• Produces a dense leafy canopy to supress weeds
• Fast and easy to establish providing rapid ground cover
• Frost hardy cover crop ideal for use in later sowings
• Can tollerate and improve poor soil conditions 
• Sowing rate: 5kg / ha

Vetch will fix substantial amounts of nitrogen, which is easily accessible for future crops. Vigorous spring growth suppresses weeds and protects the soil from erosion. 

• Fast establishing legume which is an excellent weed suppressor
• Provides substantial amounts of nitrogen which is available to the following crop
• A vigorous legume that does best on dry, alkaline soils
• Commonly sown as a mixture with Forage Rye
• Sowing rate: 50kg / ha

With an extensive root development and an impressive yield of dry matter. If not incorporated, surviving plants are usually killed by winter frosts.

• Fast and easy to establish providing rapid ground cover and weed suppression
• Rapid breakdown of organic material after incorporation releases nutrients
• Extensive root development protects soil from errosion and breaks compaction
• Cost effective solution for using with crop rotations
• Sowing rate: 25kg / ha

Phacelia is a prolific seed producer, very fast to establish and an excellent source of pollen and nectar. This makes it attractive to both insects and wild birds.

• A popular green manure crop which is an excellent weed suppressor
• Establishes fast and matures within 10-12 weeks
• Produces a large root mass making the plant an excellent soil improver
• Will produce a multitude of flowers - loved by bees and other insects
• Sowing rate: 5-8kg / ha

Yellow Blossom Clover is a biennial plant that can persist for several years due to its self regenerating properties. 

• A deep rooted legume that improves soil structure and fertility
• Nectar rich specie which attracts pollinators to aid future crops
• Often sown with Kale to help provide cover in the first year
• Stems become woody in second year to help with standing
• Sowing rate: 5kg / ha

Fodder Radish is a quick growing cover crop which scavenges nitrogen, produces large amount of organic matter and improves soil structure.

• Quick growing, produces high organic matter in short periods
• Suppresses weeds and deep roots benefit soil structure
• Ideal as a green manure crop sown in early autumn
• Effective as a standalone green cover or in mixtures
• Sowing rate: 15-25kg / ha

Crimson clover is a brightly coloured legume which attracts a large numbers of insects. Tolerant of poor soils provided they are alkaline and free draining. 

• Excellent weed suppressor, fast establishing and good nitrogen fixer
• Lower yields of biomass than Red Clover but has much shorter growing period
• Biomass degrades very quickly in the soil releasing nutrients for future crops
• Will over-winter in Southern England for autumn sowing and spring incorporation
• Sowing rate: 15kg / ha

Lucerne is a longer term perennial clover which fixes large amounts of nitrogen from the air to enrich the soil.

• A longer term perennial clover which fixes large quantities of nitrogen
• Widely used for green manure
• Large tap root which is ideally suited to light and chalky soils as well as dry climates.
• Seed is supplied inoculated with rhizobium bacteria
• Sowing rate: 25kg / ha

Persian clover is an is an annual, nitrogen fixing legume which is widely used across Europe and is useful as a forage plant.

• Spring sown for grazing and cutting or autumn sown, for rapid spring growth
• An efficient nitrogen fixing legume to assist future crops
• Suitable for use with poorer soils and drought conditions
• Compatible in seed mixtures with grass and legumes
• Sowing rate: 7-10kg / ha

Triticale produces long straw with an excellent resistance to lodging. Impressive root development extracts nutrients from deep in the soil profile.

• A wheat/rye hybrid cereal providing good cover and feed in low fertility areas.
• Clean crop with a low susceptibility to fusarium and ergot 
• Resistant to attack from rabbits
• Higher grain yield than other leading varieties
• Sowing rate: 100kg / ha

LIFAGO buckwheat (Fagopyrum tataricum) is a different species to conventional buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum) - particularly suited to grow as a companion crop with oilseed rape.

• Suitable for Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI): CIPM3 IPM3 
• Rapid establishment and high vigour
• Creates a dense canopy to protect the oilseed rape plants
• Smaller seeded and easier to drill with oilseed rape than standard buckwheat
• Scavenges phosphates from the soil for future crops
• Sowing rate: c.10kg/ha as a companion crop

BINGO purple vetch is an exciting development in short term cover cropping and establishes quickly producing good levels of bio-mass. Purple vetch is very susceptible to frost and will be removed quickly when temperatures drop below freezing. 

• Very frost sensitive
• Fast to establish
• Nitrogen fixing
• Suites early autumn sowings 
• Sowing rate: 20kg / ha