Clover is my choice, to fix nitrogen. But I have a square-foot garden so this may change things for you. Clover sprouts are also easier to control IMO.

Dan

I will throw some winter wheat in my beds in a week. Every other year, I add some hairy vetch. Seems to keep the soil nice and loose for spring amending.

Hmmm...Thanks for responding with interesting suggestions. It sounds as though I should plant something. A few of my beds are empty now but I'm STILL waiting on my tomatoes to turn and the rest of the squash to get big enough to pick. The hail really set everything back this summer...
So, jaliranchr, why do you use hairy vetch and only every other year?

Entirely a personal preference of mine, Karen.

Here's a thought, Karen:

Winter rye that must be tilled in the spring is a little hard to kill; Dan touched on that.

I don't know what clover Dan uses but I've planted Austrian winter peas here near the 49th parallel. Probably 90% of the plants won't survive the entire winter. They do make a fair amount of growth during the cool weather of the Autumn, however.

I've noticed that the "deer/wildlife plot" seed companies are really going great guns across the country these days. They sell winter peas for about $1/pound. You may also find these in your local garden center or at a farm seed store.

The last time I checked the retail price of the organic fertilizer that I use, it was well over $1 a pound. I get it wholesale but it's still expensive!

Heck, if it doesn't set any nitrogen at all, the winter pea seed (in fact, just about any bulk seed) is cheaper than organic fertilizer by nutrient value.

Just a little moot point here in September: if I can get winter rye planted after the early garden crops come out in July - - the rye will waist-high by May. It is fairly easy to pull by hand. Tilling is just about impossible but . . . wow, what a lot of organic matter you've grown for composting!!

Steve

I always use whatever red clover will grow in my climate. Usu you can go to a feed store and they'll have appropriate seed. IME rye always binds in the tines and by had makes your day bad. Clover fixes N, less green manure than rye, but it fixes N and is easily tilled by whatever method - we string trim and leave the roots for the nodules. Won't be doing it this year as I have soil that doesn't need it and we are using seed blankets to keep the wind at bay. Any pea will set N if you get it in early enuf for it to flower (better hurry). But they are expensive, you won't get edible crop, and lots of stringy stuff to deal with. My 2¢.

Dan

Hmmm. Sounds like clover might be my best bet since I'm still harvesting and waiting on others to finish up,,,playing the chicken game with father frost. I also planted some baby spinach which won't be ready for another couple of weeks. I do think it would be worth a trip to my favorite garden center to price out some winter pea as well as the clover. Since I only have 11 raised beds which are all 3 x 10 or 3 x12 (plus what's in the greenhouse) it won't be terribly costly either way I go but it's worth pricing it out.

I'm leaving town soon and I may be back in time to beat first frost, but I doubt it. So my hoops are up and if I can get the BH to cover the greens, I can have my crops go 'til maybe Nov 1, then the coldframe takes over. Peas for that arrangement shouldn't be that expensive and you can muscle up and turn that over or just trim off and leave the roots in situ. You'll have several weeks yet of good soil temps.

Dan

Thanks. I'll probably go the pea route for the beds that are already empty and clover in my tomato and squash beds which are still very active. I invested in some frost blankets which, I hope, will guarantee a long, warm Fall and I have a heater for the greenhouse which will carry me through for awhile. I spent a lot of money on the garden compound (6 ft. chain link around a 27' square plot) this year so will probably have to wait until next year to get my husband to invest in materials to build me some cold frames.