Cover crops have been used for centuries by farmers to rejuvenate the soil [1]. The use of cover crops in the home garden is often overlooked but is especially important because organic matter is constantly being depleted as we cultivate and harvest.

As you complete the harvest of your vegetables, leaving patches of ground bare [2], consider sowing these areas to annual rye grass, winter rye or winter wheat.

Prepare the soil as you would for any general grass seeding and broadcast the seed at a moderate rate. Keep the area moist until the seed germinates. A light covering of grass clippings as a mulch will aid in retaining moisture.

Allow the crop to grow a minimum of four to six weeks before a hard frost is expected, then turn or till it into the ground [3]. If you are using winter rye or wheat, you can delay the tillage until spring. Using this practice over a period of several years should result in a definite improvement to your overall soil structure.