6 Cover Crops to Plant Now to Improve Your Soil Naturally

These easy-to-grow plants revitalize your soil over winter by adding nitrogen, suppressing weeds, and more.

Published on September 24, 2025

Credit:

Sergiy Akhundov / Getty Images

Before you put your garden to bed, consider giving it a winter blanket—aka, a cover crop. Sowed in the fall, these cold-hardy plants work hard to improve soil throughout winter by decreasing compaction, preventing erosion, providing habitat for beneficial insects, and keeping weeds from taking over. Many cover crops, particularly in the legume family, also replenish nitrogen in the soil by pulling it from the air (a process known as "fixing nitrogen")—reducing the need for fertilizer in the growing season. Here are 6 of the best cover crops you can plant now for healthier soil.

Crimson Clover

Credit:

allou / Getty Images

A quick-growing legume, crimson clover (Trifolium incarnatum) excels at fixing nitrogen, while its root system helps break up compact soil. Both drought- and shade-tolerant, it can survive in temperatures as low as 10°F. Be sure to remove it before crimson clover goes to seed in spring, as it can spread aggressively.

Hairy Vetch

Credit:

Denny Schrock

Planted in the fall, hairy vetch (Vicia villosa) quickly grows to 12-20 inches tall, adding loads of nitrogen to the soil and preventing erosion. A member of the legume family, it thrives even in acidic soil, shade, and temperatures down to 10°F. While it's prized for its toughness, it can be weedy if left unchecked—and has been deemed invasive in Michigan, Oregon, and Washington.

Winter Rye

Credit:

Jacqueline Nix / Getty Images

If you live in an area with especially frigid winters, you might want to turn to winter rye (Secale cereale) as a cover crop. This cereal grain (not to be confused with rye) can handle temperatures as cold as -30°F, while preventing soil compaction and erosion. The grass stays green through much of winter, growing as tall as 5 feet.

Tear out your cover crop before it sets seed in early spring. Cut up, the plant matter can be added to the compost bin or dug it into the soil.

Winter Wheat

Credit:

epantha / Getty Images

The roots of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum) help break up compacted soil. The plant can thrive even in poor soil and temperatures as low as -20°F. This green-gold grass grows as tall as 3 feet, though some gardeners opt to mow it before it reaches its full height.

Barley

Credit:

Kindra Clineff

If barley (Hordeum vulgare) is planted in the fall, its roots will grow deep into the soil over winter to suppress weeds, fix nitrogen, and improve soil. This cereal grain is quick-growing, reaching 1 or 2 feet at maturity. It prefers full sun, and is hardy in Zones 2-11.

Annual Ryegrass

Credit:

Pixel / Getty Images

Annual ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum) is another cool-season workhorse. It germinates and grows quickly in fall through winter. Annual ryegrass can handle all kinds of soil conditions, and does well at breaking up especially heavy clay soil. Its bright green blades reach about 1 foot tall.

Have soil that needs improvement on multiple fronts? Many gardeners plant a couple different types of cover crops—a legume for fixing nitrogen, say, plus ryegrass for compaction—at once. Or you can buy a ready-made cover crop mix from a seed company.