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The final step in putting your cover crop to work.

Growing a cover crop is only part of the process. Termination is how you end its growth and begin returning the plant material and nutrients it contains to the soil. Depending on the cover crop, your garden, and what you plan to grow next, you may cut or mow it and leave the residue as mulch, or incorporate it into the soil. The goal is not simply to get rid of the cover crop. It's to keep as much of what you grew working in your garden as possible.

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When Should I Terminate My Cover Crop?

There isn't one perfect day to terminate a cover crop. Use these five considerations to decide what's best for you garden.

Watch the plant, consider what you're growing next, and terminate before it becomes something you don't want to manage.

1. YOUR GOAL

What do you want the cover crop to do for your soil and garden? (e.g., add nitrogen, build organic matter, protect soil, suppress weeds)

Your goal helps determine how much growth you need.

2. NEXT CROP

What are you planting and when? This helps determine how much time your have.

More time = more flexibility. Less time = earlier termination

3. GROWTH

How much growth do you have? More growth means more roots and biomass, but you don't need to wait for maximum growth.

Enough is enough. You don't need maximum growth to get the benefits.

4. FLOWERING/SEED

Is it flowering? Is it starting to set seed? Terminate before mature seed develops if you don't want volunteers in the future.

Flowering can help signal maturity, but the best timing depends on the cover crop and your goal.

5. TERMINATION METHOD

How will you handle the cover crop material? Cutting & leaving, composting, incorporating, or for winter-killed cover crops, letting frost do the work.

Your method influences how early of late it's best to terminate.

How Do I Terminate It?

Choose the method that fits your goals, your cover crop, and what you're planting next.

Our recommended methods keep the soil covered, protect microbial life, and return the organic matter and nutrients your cover crop has built to your soil.

1. CUT & LEAVE

When practical, cut-and-leave is a simple, low-disturbance way to terminate a cover crop while keeping its biomass in the garden and the soil covered.

BEST FOR:

  • Building organic matter
  • Protecting soil
  • Suppressing weeds
  • Low-disturbance gardening

HOW TO:

Mow or cut close to the soil. Leave the residue in place. Plant through the mulch or move it aside as needed.

2. CUT AND INCORPORATE

Cut or chop the cover crop, then lightly incorporate the material into the top few inches of soil.

BEST FOR:

  • When you want residue mixed into the soil
  • Preparing beds for planting
  • When you have time for decomposition

HOW TO:

Cut or chop the plants. Use a garden fork, broadfork, or tiller to mix into the top 2-4 inches of soil. Water and wait before planting.

3. CUT & COMPOST

Cut the cover crop and move the tops to the compost pile or another area. Leave the roots in place when practical.

BEST FOR:

  • When you need a cleaner seedbed
  • When there is too much residue to manage in the bed
  • When the material can be used elsewhere

HOW TO:

Cut the plants. Remove the tops and add them to your compost pile of another garden area.

❄ LET WINTER DO THE WORK

Depending on the cover crop and your climate, freezing temperatures may naturally terminate some or all of your cover crop.

If it winter-kills, leave the residue in place to help protect the soil until you're ready to plant again.

GROWS

WINTER FREEZING TEMPERATURES

NATURALLY TERMINATES

WILL WINTER DO THE WORK?

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