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The advantages of using cover crops are impressive:

They add organic matter to the soil. By adding this matter to the soil, you improve water retention, aeration, and drainage.

They prevent erosion. Cover crops prevent erosion by holding soil in place in windy or wet areas.

They loosen compacted soils. Certain cover crops, such as oilseed radish and bell beans, have aggressive taproots (roots that grow deeply into the soil), sometimes reaching 3 feet deep, that help break up compacted soils.

They add nutrients to the soil. Legume cover crops, such as hairy vetch and crimson clover, through a symbiotic relationship (I scratch your back, you scratch mine) with rhizobium bacteria on their roots, convert atmospheric nitrogen into a type that they can use to grow. The process is called nitrogen fixing (see Chapter 7 for more on this relationship). When the cover crop is tilled into the soil, the nitrogen is released for the next crop. Also, taprooted cover crops bring minerals to the surface from deep below the soil.

They help control weeds. Cover crops control weeds by shading the weed seeds so they can't grow or by just being more aggressive than the weeds. Some crops, such as buckwheat, actually exude chemicals that inhibit weed growth.

They attract beneficial insects. Many cover crops attract good bugs that prey on garden pests, reducing insect problems on your vegetables.

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