Hi Homefarm I plant oats in late august or september wherever the garden is bare.I like it because it winter kills and leaves a thick mat in spring stopping soil run off and suppresses weed growth when the soil is too wet to till.I assume it also helps the soil.Rein Newcastle Ontario
I've used oats. The reason: I happened to have filled my daughter's coat pocket after she was done playing in someone's grain bin. I've also used winter wheat. The garden plot looks much better through the winter when there is a cover crop, but I turn by hand, so it doesn't make tilling any easier.
