Plant Summer Cover Crops for Garden and Personal Well-Being

By Nick Frillman

Plant Summer Cover Crops for Garden and Personal Well-Being 

Occasionally, even for the most experienced vegetable or cut flower gardener, some summers shape up to be so busy that it’s hard to make time for growing things – except maybe weeds.  

Between things like kids’ summer sports commitments, family medical issues, or once-in-a-lifetime vacations, life happens, and the garden gets put on the back burner for a year. Sometimes these events are unforeseen. But other times, they’re known for months ahead of time. If next spring the calendar shows a jam-packed summer, consider taking a growing season off and rejuvenating your soil, body, and mind with summer cover crops.  

Summer cover crops are not widely utilized, but those that use them know their benefits are extensive. Once established, a mix of summer cover crop plants can: 

• germinate and grow quickly to outcompete common summer annual weeds 

• create a shady canopy that shields garden soils from heatwaves 

• break up compacted garden beds for easier future gardening 

• attract beneficial garden insects including pollinators 

• attract birds, such as goldfinch, hummingbird, and others 

• “grow” nitrogen fertilizer in place and make it available to future garden crops