Buckwheat is a short season annual with a delicate, fibrous root system. Since it establishes quickly, it is useful for weed suppression. It also mellows the soil while improving aggregate stability. Buckwheat does well in low-fertility soils. It is a scavenger of phosphorus and calcium and mineralizes rock phosphate, making these nutrients available for later crops. Residue from the succulent buckwheat plants decomposes quickly. Buckwheat uses the shortest window of opportunity of any cover crop. Annual
Crimson Clover
Crimson Clover is a cool season reseeding annual legume with an erect growth habit and a shallow taproot system. It is widely used for feeding and attracting deer, turkey, rabbits and other game species to food plot areas. Crimson is a widely adapted plant that tolerates different soil types and low pH soils. It is an excellent and dependable re-seeding clover that is early maturing. Crimson performs well in mixtures with small grains or later maturing clover. When planted in the fall, Crimson Clover produces more forage at low temperatures. It thrives when planted with other grasses and is an excellent late winter grazing crop.
Daikon Radish
Diakon Radish produces more root mass than oil seed radish. This large root system will pull nitrogen and nutrients deep within the soil and bring them back to the surface. Establish very quickly, providing good ground cover preventing erosion. Radish cover crop captures 150 to 200 pounds of nitrogen per acre before winter killing. Upon decomposition, the nitrogen becomes available to the next crops and the roots leave large holes in the ground that improve water infiltration and soil aeration leaving a thin film of residue covering the soil. Used as a cover crop to mine nitrogen and other nutrients in your soils. A good weed suppression, winter kills with low temperatures.
Fixation Clover
Fixation Clover, a cold-tolerant annual clover that establishes its robust root to support vigorous top growth. Flowers vary from white to pink and are attractive to bees. A nutritious and favored food source for deer and waterfowl, crude protein levels range from 22% - 28%. Tolerant to drought, heat, shade and low fertility soil types, will grow through short periods of standing water. Thrives in acid-soils with low pH values. Suppresses weeds, prevents erosion and keeps soil moist. Nitrogen collected is released into the soil for use by other crops. As a favorite of deer, Fixation can be fall sown or frost seeded. In the northern climate, the clover will remain dormant in the winter.
Frosty Berseem
Frosty Berseem Clover features a high leaf-to-stem ratio, has excellent disease resistance and grows rapidly when temperatures exceed 60 degrees Fahrenheit. An excellent choice for wildlife food plots, either by itself or in a mixture with clover or cool-season grasses.. As an annual clover, Frosty Berseem will eventually die and the nitrogen that it has created will be released to the benefit of remaining components. Maturity is later then when other annual clovers and bloom period is similar to that of red clover. Frosty produces an abundance of flowers and is favored by pollinators. Frosty Berseem is tolerant of moderate periods of waterlogged soils and can be dormant or frost seeded.
Spring Forage Peas
Spring Forage Peas are an excellent choice to benefit a mix or planted as a stand alone crop. An exciting new variety of self-climbing forage peas that offers a leafy highly palatable forage with high dry matter yields. Plant in the early spring for a food source that is available for energy and protein needs. Planted in the early fall, especially with oats or winter wheat, it will create a high palatable forage that is available until a hard freeze. Packer Forage Peas have poor frost tolerance. Will grow in a wide variety of soils and will work well under a minimum tillage situation. Annual
Austrian Winter Peas
Winter Peas is a cool-season, annual legume with good, nitrogen-fixing capabilities, that is well adapted to the northern climates. It is low-growing, vine legume which has been shown to fix over 200 pounds of nitrogen per acre per year under good conditions. As the name implies, has good winter hardiness and can be successfully grown when fall seeded Peas are a great soil rebuilder on a rotational basis as a green manure crop. Annual
Triticale Pea Mix
Triticale Pea Mix is comprised of a softer leaved triticale for improved palatability and a true forage pea for improved tonnage and quality. The smaller seed size on the forage pea will allow for more peas in the field that assures greater opportunity for improved forage quality. Plant 100-120lbs per acre and harvest approximately 60 days after planting (when peas start to bloom). Excellent for using as a cover crop for establishing alfalfa. Outstanding quality haulage/silage for improved animal production. Annual
