"Fall and winter cover crops are sown with the fall rains as a winter cover and then tilled into the soil as a green manure 3-4 weeks before planting in the spring. This timing will allow the organic matter to begin rotting and to release nutrients for your garden. A mechanical tiller is usually the tool of choice, although if you cut and remove the top growth and compost it separately, the roots can be hoed in with minimal effort. Several members of the legume family are very frost tolerant and make superb winter-grown crops. In addition, they have aggressive root systems, making them an excellent choice to help break up hard soil and add organic matter. When planting legumes such as peas, clover, vetch, or fava beans in a new area, an inoculant increases nitrogen-fixing ability. Grains can also be broadcast in the fall to provide a quick winter ground cover for erosion control or as a protective nurse crop for slower growing legumes. Green-manured beds will dry out faster in the spring than bare soil and are often more mellow and easier to till or work. If broadcasting, sow 25% more seed than the recommended rate. Most winter cover crops can handle air temperatures down to 10°F, but will not tolerate frozen ground.
One of the easiest and most economical ways to improve your soil is to plant a green manure crop, also called a cover crop. Most home garden soils can be maintained at their highest level of productivity by sound soil management practices that involve a combination of crop rotation, and most importantly, adding organic matter by planting and tilling in green manures. Organic matter is the ‘’food’’ component of soil. Soil-dwelling fungi and bacteria work to break down organic matter. When these soil microorganisms eat organic matter, nutrients are released back into the soil in a form that is usable by plants. This process is called nutrient cycling. Nutrient cycling affects both the physical and chemical properties of the soil. Adding organic matter builds soil structure, which increases water absorption, increases nutrient-holding capacity, buffers the soil pH, and improves aeration, all leading to a healthier soil environment. Cover crops choke out weeds by restricting sunlight to the soil, reduce erosion by stabilizing the soil surface, and through their deep root action, they help break up hardpan and bring minerals to the surface for other plants to use. As part of a long-term rotation plan, cover crops can provide a lasting habitat within your garden for beneficial insects and microorganisms.Green manures can be grown in the same year as your vegetable crops by sowing them around garden plants. They can also be grown as a perennial crop in orchards and vineyards. In mild climates, cover crops can be fall planted and tilled in the following spring just before planting. In harsher climates, cover crops can be grown in rows between crops or as a component of rotation in your garden. Green manure crops are a superior source of organic matter when they are cut and turned under before they complete their life cycle (while they're still green, hence the term green manure). In addition to this benefit, legume green manures (alfalfa, clover, vetch, peas, and beans) act as a host for the bacteria that fix or make nitrogen available to your vegetable or fruit plants.

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