SUMMER COVER CROPS

What summer cover crops can do

• Remove nitrogen (N) from the air and transforms it into the soil
• Provide organic matter which improves soil’s ability to hold water and nutrients
• Control weeds by smothering them out
• Suppress root knot nematodes (Meloidogyne spp.) 
• Provide an edible crop during unfavorable summer vegetable growing season
• Suppress sting nematodes (Belonolaimus longicaudatus) which affect strawberries

Suggested crops

• Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) Colossus, California Blackeye #5, Iron Clay, Magnolia Blackeye, Mississippi Purple, Mississippi Silver, Tennessee Brown, Zippercream
• Sunn Hemp (Crotolaria juncea) 
• Marigold (Tagetes spp.) 
• French, Mexican, and African Marigolds (not SIGNET varieties) 
• Pigeon Pea (Cajanus cajan L.) a tree that is turned under instead of allowing to grow tree-sized 

References: https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in516, http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/nrcs142p2_053283.pdf, http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/tr003, https://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/hs376, http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ng043, http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/in516, http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/ss/ss46100.pdf, http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ng045, http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/ss461, http://www.ctahr.hawaii.edu/sustainag/news/articles/V7-Valenzuela-cajanus.pdf