Cover Crop Planting Guidelines
The following tables contain recommendations for planting common cover crop species. Please note that this information should be used as a starting point only. Be sure to consult your owner’s manual for specific seed rates and calibrate your machine prior to planting!
Annual Ryegrass |
|
Type |
Winter annual; cool-season annual grass |
Roles |
Prevents erosion |
Seeding Depth (in.) |
0 – ½ |
Drill Rate (lb./A) |
10-20 |
Broadcast Rate (lb./A) |
20-30 |
Best Established |
Early Spring, Late Summer, Early Fall, Fall |
Minimum Germination Temperature |
40°F |
Optimal Soil Conditions |
Fertile, well-drained loam or sandy loam |
Things to Note |
Avoid seeding in hot, dry weather or in crusted soil. |
Barley |
|
Type |
Winter annual; cool-season annual cereal grain |
Roles |
Prevents erosion |
Seeding Depth (in.) |
¾ - 2 |
Drill Rate (lb./A) |
50-100 |
Broadcast Rate (lb./A) |
80-125 |
Best Established |
Fall, Winter, Spring |
Minimum Germination Temperature |
38°F |
Optimal Soil Conditions |
Well-drained, fertile loams or light, clay soils in areas with cool, dry, mild winters |
Things to Note |
Establishes readily in prepared seedbeds |
Oats |
|
Type |
Cool-season annual cereal |
Roles |
Suppresses weeds |
Seeding Depth (in.) |
½ - 1½ |
Drill Rate (lb./A) |
80-110 |
Broadcast Rate (lb./A) |
110-140 |
Best Established |
Late Summer, Early Spring |
Minimum Germination Temperature |
38°F |
Optimal Soil Conditions |
Moderately fertile soil |
Things to Note |
Broadcast 40-60 days before first kill frost. |
Rye |
|
Type |
Cool-season annual cereal grain |
Roles |
Scavenges excess N |
Seeding Depth (in.) |
¾ - 2 |
Drill Rate (lb./A) |
60-120 |
Broadcast Rate (lb./A) |
90-160 |
Best Established |
Late Summer, Early Fall |
Minimum Germination Temperature |
34°F |
Optimal Soil Conditions |
Light loam or sandy soil |
Things to Note |
Can grow in heavy clays and in poorly-drained soils. |
Wheat |
|
Type |
Winter annual cereal grain; can be spring planted |
Roles |
Prevents erosion |
Seeding Depth (in.) |
½ - 1½ |
Drill Rate (lb./A) |
60-120 |
Broadcast Rate (lb./A) |
60-150 |
Best Established |
Late Summer, Early Fall |
Minimum Germination Temperature |
38°F |
Optimal Soil Conditions |
Medium texture, moderate fertility, well-drained soil |
Things to Note |
Can tolerate heavy soils. |
Buckwheat |
|
Type |
Summer or cool-season annual broadleaf grain |
Roles |
Provides quick soil cover |
Seeding Depth (in.) |
½ - 1½ |
Drill Rate (lb./A) |
48-70 |
Broadcast Rate (lb./A) |
50-90 |
Best Established |
Spring to Late Summer |
Minimum Germination Temperature |
50°F |
Optimal Soil Conditions |
Light to medium well-drained soils Sandy loams, silt loams |
Things to Note |
Doesn’t like heavy, wet soil, so avoid wet spots. |
Berseem Clover |
|
Type |
Summer annual legume |
Roles |
Suppresses weeds |
Seeding Depth (in.) |
¼ - ½ |
Drill Rate (lb./A) |
8-12 |
Broadcast Rate (lb./A) |
15-20 |
Best Established |
Early Spring, Early Fall |
Minimum Germination Temperature |
42°F |
Optimal Soil Conditions |
Slightly alkaline loam and silty soils |
Things to Note |
Grows in all soil types except sand |
Sorghum-Sudangrass |
|
Type |
Summer annual grass |
Roles |
Builds soil |
Seeding Depth (in.) |
½ - 1½ |
Drill Rate (lb./A) |
35 |
Broadcast Rate (lb./A) |
40-50 |
Best Established |
Late Spring, Early Summer |
Minimum Germination Temperature |
65°F |
Optimal Soil Conditions |
Good fertility, near-neutral pH Warm, moist soil |
Things to Note |
Not frost tolerant. |
Brassicas: Mustards, Radishes, Canola (Rapeseed) |
|
Type |
Cool-season or winter annual |
Roles |
Prevents erosion |
Seeding Depth (in.) |
Mustards: ¼ - ¾ |
Drill Rate (lb./A) |
Mustards: 5-12 |
Broadcast Rate (lb./A) |
Mustards: 10-15 |
Best Established |
Mustards: Spring, Late Summer |
Minimum Germination Temperature |
Mustards: 40°F |
Optimal Soil Conditions |
Well-drained soils |
Things to Note |
Avoid poorly-drained soils. |
Cowpeas |
|
Type |
Summer annual legume |
Roles |
Suppresses weeds |
Seeding Depth (in.) |
1 – 1½ |
Drill Rate (lb./A) |
30-90 |
Broadcast Rate (lb./A) |
70-120 |
Best Established |
Early Summer |
Minimum Germination Temperature |
58°F |
Optimal Soil Conditions |
Hot, moist areas where corn flourishes; well-drained soil |
Things to Note |
Drilling or planting are more effective than broadcasting due to seed size. |
Crimson Clover |
|
Type |
Winter annual or summer annual legume |
Roles |
Provides N |
Seeding Depth (in.) |
¼ - ½ |
Drill Rate (lb./A) |
15-20 |
Broadcast Rate (lb./A) |
22-30 |
Best Established |
Late Summer, Early Summer |
Optimal Soil Conditions |
Well-drained, sandy loams |
Things to Note |
Does poorly on heavy clay. |
Field Peas |
|
Type |
Winter annual or summer annual legume |
Roles |
Provides N
|
Seeding Depth (in.) |
1½ - 3 |
Drill Rate (lb./A) |
50-80 |
Broadcast Rate (lb./A) |
90-100 |
Best Established |
Fall, Early Spring |
Minimum Germination Temperature |
41°F |
Optimal Soil Conditions |
Well-limed, well-drained clay or heavy loam soils |
Things to Note |
Incorporation with broadcasting can greatly improve stands. |
Hairy Vetch |
|
Type |
Winter annual or summer annual legume |
Roles |
Provides N |
Seeding Depth (in.) |
½ - 1½ |
Drill Rate (lb./A) |
15-20 |
Broadcast Rate (lb./A) |
25-40 |
Best Established |
Early Fall, Early Spring |
Minimum Germination Temperature |
60°F |
Optimal Soil Conditions |
Well-drained soil with adequate moisture |
Things to Note |
Dry conditions limit germination, while irrigation aids germination. |
Medics |
|
Type |
Winter annual or summer annual legume |
Roles |
Provides N |
Seeding Depth (in.) |
¼ - ½ |
Drill Rate (lb./A) |
8-22 |
Broadcast Rate (lb./A) |
12-26 |
Best Established |
Early Fall, Early Spring, Early Summer |
Minimum Germination Temperature |
45°F |
Optimal Soil Conditions |
Reasonably fertile soils |
Things to Note |
Excessive moisture early in season can reduce stands. |
Red Clover |
|
Type |
Short-lived perennial, biennial, or winter annual legume |
Roles |
Provides N |
Seeding Depth (in.) |
¼ - ½ |
Drill Rate (lb./A) |
8-10 |
Broadcast Rate (lb./A) |
10-12 |
Best Established |
Late Summer, Early Spring |
Minimum Germination Temperature |
41°F |
Optimal Soil Conditions |
Cool weather conditions and climates |
Things to Note |
Check herbicide usage dates before establishing red clover. |
Subterranean Clover |
|
Type |
Reseeding cool-season annual legume |
Roles |
Suppresses weeds |
Seeding Depth (in.) |
¼ - ½ |
Drill Rate (lb./A) |
10-20 |
Broadcast Rate (lb./A) |
20-30 |
Best Established |
Late Summer, Early Fall |
Minimum Germination Temperature |
38°F |
Optimal Soil Conditions |
Low to moderate soil fertility. |
Things to Note |
Broadcast into a weed-free seedbed. |
Sweetclovers |
|
Type |
Biennial, summer annual, or winter annual legume |
Roles |
Builds soil and fertility |
Seeding Depth (in.) |
¼ - 1 |
Drill Rate (lb./A) |
6-10 |
Broadcast Rate (lb./A) |
10-20 |
Best Established |
Spring, Summer |
Minimum Germination Temperature |
42°F |
Optimal Soil Conditions |
Loam soils with near-neutral pH |
Things to Note |
Succeeds in same soil conditions as alfalfa. |
White Clover |
|
Type |
Long-lived perennial or winter annual legume |
Roles |
Protects against erosion |
Seeding Depth (in.) |
¼ - ½ |
Drill Rate (lb./A) |
3-9 |
Broadcast Rate (lb./A) |
5-14 |
Best Established |
Late Winter, Early to Late Spring, Early Fall |
Minimum Germination Temperature |
40°F |
Optimal Soil Conditions |
Clay and loam soils |
Things to Note |
Tolerates wet soils, even short flooding. |
Wollypod Vetch |
|
Type |
Cool-season annual legume |
Roles |
Provides N |
Seeding Depth (in.) |
½ - 1 |
Drill Rate (lb./A) |
10-30 |
Broadcast Rate (lb./A) |
30-60 |
Best Established |
Fall |
Optimal Soil Conditions |
Thrives on various soil types |
Things to Note |
Tolerates even poor, sandy soils. |
Related News and Information
Grow Your Next Crop and Your Bottom Line
March 16, 2017
A versatile, heavy-duty drill equipped with multiple seed boxes can not only be used to plant your traditional crops, but it can also help you seed challenging cover crop mixes successfully. Using a drill to plant your cover crops will increase the value of your drill investment and maximize its utility across more acres.