I am wondering about this too. So far I have intensive beds that never rest. During the winter they are filled with all sorts of greens and lettuces. But I am thinking that maybe I need to rotate every few years with a green cover crop.

At church we have never actually seeded a cover crop, but they get covered in some sort of vetch like plant. It's weedy. I don't really know exactly what it is. But the last two years I turn it under (did it two weeks ago) before it sets seed and cover with newspapers and mulch well until we plant. It seems to be working very well. The only other things we ever add is our own compost, and wheat straw (which gets turned under after it begins to bread down as a mulch). The soil is gorgeous.

GGG

When I used to plant a cover crop crimson clover was my choice. It is beautiful when it blooms. It is a falacy that you can till it under because it will wrap around the tines. I used to mow it first then till it immediately before it dried out. It is a great bee attractor. It is shallow rooted and it absorbs nitrogen from the air and fixes it in its root system (free fertilizer). I recommend it.

I may try clover. I suppose I can use a sling to cut it since it is a raised bed and a mower really won't work.

There is a new cultivar called Burgandy bean (type of clover) that is specifically for winter cover crop/N fixing for GA. It is for the pasture market and has excellent qualities...a little pricey though than regular clover. BArenbrug has several varieties in there pature catalog.