Hi Kevin,

To best advise you on this I would like to know what crop will this cover crop be following and what crop will come next. I would also like you to consider which termination route would best fit your management in the spring (chemically, through tillage, roller crimping, winter kill, etc.). If you are brand new to cover crops, I would also recommend keeping the mixes similar at first. Ideally, start with 1 species but no more than 3 species in a mix to start.

For example, if you are putting a cover crop in after corn (around October) and are going into soybeans in the coming year-- cereal rye would be a great option. It will grow back in the spring, which means you will need a plan to terminate the cereal rye so it doesn't compete with your spring planted crops.

If, however, you are coming out of tomatoes (finishing harvest by September) and going into squash the next year, a mix of oats and radishes could be a good option. Grasses as a cover crop add to surface and deep organic matter while radishes may help address compaction in a clay soil. With good winter freezes, oats and radish will die in the winter which can be great if you don't want to deal with spring termination.

Feel free to email me back for a more specific recommendation based on your crop rotation and management!