Oats and Field Peas Cover Crop Seed

This blend is a perfect, simple mix for a spring, summer, or fall cover crop. Both oats and field peas are quick to germinate in most soil conditions, and in typical zone 6 or colder winters, they will winter kill (in milder years in zones 5 and 6, the peas will die back, but the oats will survive--but they are an easy crop to till in or pull up in early spring).

The peas add loads of nitrogen to the soil, feeding the oats, which produce plenty of organic matter in their leaves. Added bonuses: the growing tips of the peas make a delightful edible pea shoot, the pinkish-purple pea flowers are very pretty, and the immature pea pods make a perfectly great snow pea. Garden Pack: 1/2 pound, sows roughly 100 square feetHomestead Pack: 1 pound, sows roughly 250 square feetFarm Pack: 5 pounds, sows roughly 1,000 square feet For best results, sow densely at any time during the season. The mix is especially happy in the cool of spring or late summer/early fall. Space seeds about one-half inch apart in the row.

Either scatter the seeds over the surface of the soil and rake in heavily or sow into furrowed rows spaced 1-4 inches apart. If scattering, be sure that peas end up well buried so that they can germinate and take hold.

If sowing in dry conditions, provide irrigation if possible. For spring sowings, mow and till into the soil (or harvest for the compost pile) when peas begin to flower and set pods, but before the pods fill out and mature.

Summer and fall sowings can be left in the ground thru winter. This seed product is not included in our free shipping offer.