Farm Seed at a Glance
Does viewing this table on a small screen make you want to cry? We have wracked our brains and have not yet come up with a satisfactory way to display all of this tabular data on mobile devices. Perhaps you can use a device with a larger screen, or can download and print a copy of the table: (PDF).
| Crop Name and Planting Time | Organic | Seeding Rate per 1000 sq ft (#)3 | Seeding Rate per Acre (#) | pH range | Nitrogen Fixed per Acre (#)4 | Biomass per Acre (tons)5 | Uses |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alfalfa 8+ weeks before first frost |
OG | 0.5 | 15-25 | 6.5–7 | 250 | 1-2 | nitrogen-fixing, organic matter, bees, hay (perennial) |
| B&B Summer Mix early summer |
2 | 75 | 6–7.5 | low | 2-2.5 | organic matter, weed control | |
| Hulless Barley spring |
OG | 3 | 100-125 | 6–7.5 | 4.4 | organic matter, weed control, food, nitrogen scavenger, feed, straw, hay (annual) | |
| Barley spring |
OG | 3 | 100-125 | 6–7.5 | 4.4 | organic matter, weed control, food, nitrogen scavenger, feed, straw, hay (annual) | |
| Bell Beans spring or fall |
5 | 150-200 | 6–7 | high | medium | nitrogen-fixing, organic matter, food, feed | |
| BMR Sorghum/Sudangrass |
OG | 2 | 40-80 | 6–7.5 | 2-2.5 | organic matter, weed control, nitrogen scavenger, erosion control, silage, pasture (annual) | |
| Common Buckwheat 80-90 days before first frost (for crop), last frost to 4 weeks before first frost (for cover) |
OG | 1-3 | 40-120 | 6–6.5 | bees, weed control, food, phosphorus scavenger | ||
| Winter Camelina 2 weeks before to 2 weeks after first frost |
0.25 | 5-10 | 5.6–6.5 | bees, food, feed, scavenger | |||
| Forage Chicory |
0.25 | 10 | 5.5–7.5 | pasture (perennial) | |||
| Crimson Clover |
1.5 | 25-50 | 5–8 | 100 | 1.25-1.5 | nitrogen-fixing, organic matter, weed control, hay (annual), pasture (annual) | |
| Freedom Red Clover |
0.5 | 15-20 | 6–7.5 | 100 | 2-3 | nitrogen-fixing, organic matter, bees, hay (perennial), pasture (perennial) | |
| Mammoth Red Clover |
OG | 0.5 | 15-20 | 6–7.5 | 100 | 2-3 | nitrogen-fixing, organic matter, bees, hay (perennial), pasture (perennial) |
| Medium Red Clover |
OG | 0.5 | 15-20 | 6–7.5 | 100 | 2-3 | nitrogen-fixing, organic matter, bees, hay (perennial), pasture (perennial) |
| Alice White Clover late winter to first frost |
0.25 | 4-5 | 6.5–7.5 | yes | nitrogen-fixing, organic matter, bees, pasture (perennial) | ||
| Dutch White Clover late winter to first frost |
0.5 | 10-15 | 6.5–7.5 | yes | little | nitrogen-fixing, organic matter, bees, lawn | |
| Ladino White Clover late winter to first frost |
0.25 | 4-5 | 6.5–7.5 | medium | medium | nitrogen-fixing, organic matter, bees, hay (perennial), erosion control, silage, pasture (perennial) | |
| Rivendell White Clover late winter to first frost |
OG | 0.25 | 5-10 | 6.5–7.5 | 100 | little | nitrogen-fixing, organic matter, bees, erosion control, pasture (perennial) |
| Yellow Sweet Clover spring and summer |
OG | 0.5 | 15-20 | 6–8 | 200 | 3.75 | nitrogen-fixing, organic matter, bees |
| Northern Growers’ Winterkill Mix late summer |
5 | 150-200 | 6–7 | medium | high | ||
| Pea/Oat Mix spring-late summer |
OG | 5 | 150-200 | 6–7 | medium | high | |
| NOFA Cover Crop Cocktail midsummer to first frost |
OG | 1-2 | 50-75 | 5.5–7.5 | medium | high | organic matter, weed control, scavenger |
| Grass Seed: CR Lawn Mix last frost to midsummer |
3-4 | 100-150 | 6–7 | lawn | |||
| Magic Carpet Mix early to mid-spring |
0.5 | 25 | 6–7 | 100 | 1-2 | nitrogen-fixing, organic matter, weed control | |
| Japanese Millet 2 weeks before last frost, to midsummer |
1 | 40-60 | 5.5–6 | 2 | organic matter, weed control, hay (annual), silage, pasture (annual), scavenger | ||
| Mustard last frost to first frost |
1 | 15-25 | 5.5–8.3 | 5 | bees, scavenger, pest control | ||
| Forage Oats spring to first frost |
OG | 3 | 100 | 5–6.5 | 1.5-4.5 | organic matter, weed control, feed, straw | |
| Goliath Forage Oats spring to first frost |
3 | 100 | 5–6.5 | 1.5-4.5 | organic matter, weed control, feed, straw | ||
| Streaker Hulless Oats spring |
OG | 3 | 100 | 5–6.5 | 1.5-4.5 | organic matter, weed control, food, feed, straw | |
| Hulless Oats |
OG | ||||||
| Common Oats spring to first frost |
OG | 3-4 | 100-150 | 5–6.5 | 1.5-4.5 | organic matter, weed control, feed, straw | |
| Orchard Grass mid-spring to late summer |
OG | 1 | 20-40 | 5.8–7.5 | 1-2.5 | hay (perennial), pasture (perennial) | |
| Pasture Mix mid-spring to late summer |
OG | 1 | 40-50 | 6–7 | yes | pasture (perennial) | |
| Field Peas spring |
OG | 5 | 100-200 | 6–7 | 150 | 2.5 | nitrogen-fixing, weed control, hay (annual), silage, pasture (annual) |
| PVO Soil-Building Seed Mix mid-spring to late summer |
OG | 5 | 150-200 | 6–7 | 150 | 4 | nitrogen-fixing, organic matter, weed control |
| Deep-rooted Daikon Radish late summer to first frost |
0.5 | 8-15 | 6–7.5 | 1 | feed, erosion control, scavenger | ||
| Deep-rooted Daikon Radish late summer to first frost |
OG | 0.5 | 8-15 | 6–7.5 | 1 | feed, erosion control, scavenger | |
| Winter Triticale 2 weeks before first frost to 2 weeks after first frost |
OG | 3-5 | 100-200 | 6–7 | high | ||
| Winter Rye first frost to two weeks after first frost |
OG | 3-5 | 100-200 | 5–7 | 2 | organic matter, weed control, food, straw, erosion control, pasture (annual), scavenger | |
| Hairy Vetch/Winter Rye Mix first frost |
OG | 2-3 | 80-100 | 6–7 | 50 | 1.5-2 | nitrogen-fixing, organic matter, weed control |
| Annual Ryegrass |
OG | 1-2 | 25-35 | 6–7 | 1.6-2 | organic matter, weed control, nitrogen scavenger, erosion control, pasture (annual) | |
| Annual Ryegrass |
1-2 | 25-35 | 6–7 | 1.6-2 | organic matter, weed control, nitrogen scavenger, erosion control, pasture (annual) | ||
| Ryegrass, Perennial 2 weeks before last frost, to first frost |
OG | 1-2 | 30-60 | 5.2–8 | weed control, nitrogen scavenger, pasture (perennial) | ||
| Sunn Hemp before Aug 15 |
1-2 | 30-50 | 5–7.5 | 100 | 2.5 | nitrogen-fixing, organic matter, pest control | |
| Timothy 4-6 weeks before first frost |
OG | 0.5 | 12-15 | 5.5–7 | hay (perennial), pasture (perennial) | ||
| Hairy Vetch mid-spring to early fall |
OG | 1 | 25-40 | 6–7 | 100 | 1.5-2 | nitrogen-fixing, organic matter |
| Glenn Spring Wheat |
OG | 3-4 | 100-125 | 6–7 | medium | organic matter, food, straw | |
| Winter Wheat Soft White 2 weeks before first frost to first frost |
OG | 3 | 100-125 | 6–7 | organic matter, weed control, food, feed | ||
| Sirvinta Winter Wheat 2 weeks before first frost to first frost |
OG | 3 | 100-125 | 6–7 | organic matter, weed control, food, straw, pasture (annual) | ||
| Tall Fescue mid-spring or early fall |
OG | 0.5 | 15-20 | 5.8–6.5 | high | organic matter, hay (perennial), feed, erosion control, silage, pasture (perennial), lawn |
Key
Best Uses:- bees: provides bee forage for honey production
- feed: produces a grain or bean suitable for animal consumption
- food: produces a grain or bean suitable for human consumption
- erosion control: roots hold soil well
- hay: maintains nutritional quality when dried
- lawn: suitable for heavy traffic areas, withstands mowing
- N-fix: green manure fixes nitrogen, available to subsequent crops when tilled into soil
- organic matter: soil builder green manure, produces biomass and improves soil structure
- pasture: superior nutrition and yield, withstands grazing
- pest control: reduces insect, disease, or nematode pressure
- scavenger: quickly takes up nutrients from soil, preventing their loss to erosion or leaching
- weed control: physically out-competes or chemically inhibits weeds
3Seeding rates are based on drilled seed in organically managed fields. Seeding rates vary depending on crop use, timeliness of planting, method of seeding, weed pressure, soil conditions, seed size, and whether the crop is planted alone or in a mix. If you need help figuring out what seeding rate to use, please give us a call.
- For most seed, use the smaller amount in mixes and the larger amount solo.
- For corn, use the smaller amount for grain and the larger amount for silage.
- For broadcasting, increase 20-25%.
- For use in precision planters, decrease 10-50%.
- For late planting, increase 20-50%.
- For forage or weed control uses, increase 30-50%.
4Nitrogen-fixing bacteria reside on the roots of legumes. Use inoculant to ensure populations. Y means yes, fixes N, but no info on quantity available. Some rhizobial bacteria form symbiotic relationships specifically with the roots of leguminous crops; these bacteria convert atmospheric nitrogen (which is unavailable to plants) to ammonia and nitrates (which are available to plants). Legumes can often furnish nearly all of their own nitrogen needs this way—exactly how much depends on the species, the soil structure, and weather conditions. If the crop is removed from the field, the fixed nitrogen is removed as well, with little or no residual added nitrogen remaining in the soil; however, if the crop is turned in and incorporated into the soil, the fixed nitrogen is added to the soil and is available in slow-release forms to the following crop. Therefore, quantities of nitrogen fixed are listed only for those crops used as cover crops, and these quantities should not be interpreted as absolute numbers but as indications of a species’ relative efficiency at fixing atmospheric nitrogen.
5Biomass, or Organic Matter: Succulent biomass makes a rapid contribution to available soil nutrients. Fibrous biomass helps build humus, which improves soil texture and increases nutrient-holding capacity.