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"As I Like It" Cover Crop Blend: High Biomass, Nitrogen Fixing Legumes

A high biomass blend comprised of legumes - fava, field/forage pea and hairy vetch - with oats included for fast growing weed suppression. Seeds are certified organic.

Size: BULK: 0.5 pound, OG

This high biomass blend is predominantly comprised of legumes: fava, field/forage pea and hairy vetch, with oats also included for fast growing weed suppression. It was inspired by a Natural Resources Conservation Service pamphlet on fava bean, which described it as "a typical high biomass cover crop mix for Central California." We could not find this mix commercially available, so decided to make it ourselves!

This cover crop blend ecologically Ecologically, this blend works as follows:

  • Fava beans function scaffold species with tall rigid stems and provide high, late season biomass. They fix nitrogen in the soil.
  • Peas and hairy vetch climb the favas and oats, extending the overall canopy established. Both crops fix nitrogen.
  • Oats provide early vigor, weed suppression, and carbon for residue balance.

This blend can be sown from mid-fall through early spring,  from the winter to early spring, timing 

Seeds are certified organic.

Common Name:
"As I Like It" Cover Crop Blend
Scientific Name:
Vicia faba, Pisum sativum, Vicia villosa, and Avena sativa
Plant Lifespan:
Annual
Cold Hardiness (F):
Zone 8a (10 to 15)
Light Requirements:
Full Sun (min. 6 hours a day)
Seed In:
Early Winter (Dec 21 - Jan 20), Mid Winter (Jan 21 - Feb 20), Late Winter (Feb 21 - Mar 20), Early Spring (Mar 21 - Apr 20), Mid Fall (Oct 22 - Nov 21), and Late Fall (Nov 22 - Dec 20)
Seeding Depth:
3/4 in.
Days to Sprout:
5-21
Optimal Soil Temperature (F):
50-60
Plant Height:
5 ft.

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