I planted crimson clover in the past which grows well during the winter before turning it under in March.

Where are you located? Things which die in one place will overwinter in another and be a pain come spring planting if you don't want to till them in. And even when tilled in some things will pop back up again.

I'm in Northern Michigan. We get definite winters here!

Thnx vgkg, but I garden in raised beds, and use a broadfork to loosen the soil before planting. I'm afraid that would not kill the clover.

Tom back when I grew CC as a cover crop (~25 years ago) it did overwinter here (Va) where temps drop into the lower teens. In Spring it would bloom so I'd mow it down with my mulching mower and till it all in with the roots (as green manure). CC is a very tender plant so it breaks down quickly. I'd also leave a few patches to grow as the blooms would attract beneficials and pollinators. Once the temps got warmer by May or so those patches would die out.

It's my personal opinion that cover crops are best suited to large, in ground gardens. If one is growing in raised beds then usually (not always) space is going to be limited for crops as it is, so using a portion for a cover crop which provides no produce is a bit of a waste. Using compost and mulch to replenish the soil, as well as fertilizers when needed, is not only easier but allows you to use the beds to their fullest potential.

Planting a cover crop in the early fall to winter kill uses space that could be planted with a fall cool season crop. Planting a cover crop in spring uses space that could be planted with a spring or summer crop. If there is enough space in between plants for a cover crop then that means there is more space for food plants...

Can cover crops be used in raised beds? Absolutely. Should they? That's a personal opinion. All this said, there really isn't a much better plant to use then oats if you want it to winter kill. There is no reason they shouldn't have sprouted when you broadcast them unless the seeds were compromised (weevils, age, poor storage conditions, etc.). Tillage radishes are also used for fall planting. Mustards can be used. Buckwheat...

Rodney

Kind of funny, but down here, I never do cover crops, because we're pretty much gardening year-round. Largely no winter-kill. (Though we did have HUGELY unseasonable freezes the last two years that required protection.) Erosion is never an issue, because there is always something growing there. For soil organics, yes, I dig in lots of organics before every planting. My soil never gets compacted, because I regularly till. True, a nitrogenating cover crop could be useful, but I just amend with nitrogen fertilizer routinely. Certainly if I did have a bed where I didn't want to plant anything, a cover crop would be important. So Rodney is right. Cover crops are good if you really don't want to plant anything else.

how about a big city name.. marquettte?... traverse..??.. mackinaw??? ... half the state is above the 45th parallel .. half way to the north pole.. and no north atlantic current to keep it warm like england at 60 degrees north ...

if your ground freezes.. as mine dies down in adrian... you do not have enough time to germinate a late crop and have it grow enough to be of value..

by about mid october.. you the trees will be nude.. because nights temps will be down in the 40s ... you cant germinate at those temps.. and what does.. will grow so slow... it wont amount to much ...

i tried this once.. a didnt recall the crop.. but i do recall.. it sprouted for 5 or 6 years.. what a nightmare.. lol ... of course i didnt have the WWW to help me .. just a feed store with random seed.... which might also be a source of info....

i would search mooyou for Ag info in MI ... MSU ...

a quick call to your county extension office will also get local info.. or at least a reference to MSU info ...

ken

I'm near Sleeping Bear Dunes, Ken. Winters are milder here near Lk Michigan than they are further from the lake, but they are long & snowy. I just thought I'd give it a try (cover cropping) since I have some barren spots; then if it looks promising, I can try it in earnest next year.

Thnx for all the suggestions!