Albert Lea Seed House 2016 Cover Crops & Winter Grains Catalog | Page 7

NITROGEN-FIXING COVER CROPS
Hairy Vetch* (O,C) – Viney, winter annual cover crop legume. Accumulates significant biomass
in the spring and can be a heavy N fixer (up to 100lbs N/acre or more at flowering). Improves soil
structure, scavenges P, and competes very well against early season weeds. Can winterkill if planted past recommended dates. We recommend companion seeding with oats, winter rye or another
nurse crop to increase winter survival. Plant August 1st - Sept 15th at 25-35 lbs/acre straight or 1520 lbs/acre in a mix.
Purple Bounty Hairy Vetch* (C) – Purple Bounty is a new winterhardy, early maturing hairy
vetch variety developed for high nitrogen fixation (up to ½ of a subsequent crop’s nitrogen), increased biomass for a thicker mulch and earlier flowering for more flexibility in planting succeeding crops. Flowers two weeks earlier than common hairy vetch. Plant August 1st - Sept 15th at 2025 lbs/acre straight or 15-20 lbs/acre in a mix.
Austrian Winter Peas* (O,C) – Viney, fall-seeded winter annual that is used for grazing, haying,
green manure plowdown or grain production (in zone). Can produce 1-2 tons/acre of dry matter
and fix 90-150 lbs N/acre. It is a high-quality forage with protein content of 14-20%. Generally not
considered winter hardy in the upper-Midwest; plant early with a nurse crop for best chance of
winter survival. Plant August 1st - Sept 1st at 40-70 lbs/acre straight or 15-30 lbs/acre in a mix.
Common Vetch* (C) – Viney, annual legume with pea-like flowers and compound leaves. Puts
on good growth as a cover crop if seeded early in the fall. Good candidate for aerial application.
Will winterkill in the upper-Midwest unlike Hairy Vetch. Plant August 1st-Sept 15th at 50-60 lbs/
acre straight or 20-40 lbs/acre in a mix.
Crimson Clover* (C) – Fast growing, summer annual clover excellent for cover cropping. Vigorous growth provides N and produces up to 1500 lbs dry matter/acre. Well suited for most soil
types. Will winterkill in the upper-Midwest. Pre-inoculated. Plant 15-25 lbs/acre May 15th -Sept 1st.
Berseem Clover* (C) – Quick growing summer annual clover. Good N fixation potential and excellent biomass production. Widely adapted to varying soils. Will winterkill in the upper-Midwest.
Pre-inoculated. Plant May 15th - August 15th at 12-15 lbs/acre.
Balansa Clover* (C) – Quick establishing, cool-season annual l