We had good luck with cover crops this year. Here are the ones that worked: 1. Cucumbers and squash 2. bird seed 3. bulk seeds, lentils, alfalfa, buckwheat 4. parsley and nasturtiums. The all time favorite is buckwheat. Here is some buckwheat trivia for those easily amused. Buckwheat acreage in the US has decreased each year since 1866. That's right 1866! Buckwheat is in the Polygonaceae family with a long list of weeds (dock, sorrel, ringweed, etc.) 2/3 of buckwheat goes for animal feed. For most animals it must be ground, but poultry can eat it raw. cool moist climates extremely frost susceptible flower late summer and seed set in the fall tolerates poor soil conditions better than any cereal crop tolerates acid, infertile, poorly drained and poorly worked soil responds moderately well to fertility, but will lodge badly with N Seeding rate 55 kg. / ha. most used as a livestock feed some limited use in breakfast cereals major export is to Japan used as a green manure crop excellent honey producer excellent at smothering weeds
