Cover Crops for Vegetable Gardens

Celina – The Mercer County OSU Extension, in collaboration with the Mercer County Soil and Water Conservation District, are providing free Fall Cover Crop Seed to vegetable gardens in the county. Any Mercer County resident can receive up to 3 pounds of a cover crop seed mix for their vegetable garden. Residents should know their garden size and can come to the OSU Extension office, at the Mercer County Agricultural Center, Monday to Friday from 8:30AM to 4:00PM. The office is located at 4978 Mud Pike Road. It is recommended to plant the cover crop seed as soon as vegetable gardens are cleaned up and put to rest for the season. Seeding should occur before mid-October for best results.

Planting a cover crop can reduce soil erosion, suppress weed seeds, maintain soil nutrient levels, and increase earthworm activity for their vegetable gardens. Farmers have been utilizing cover crops for many of these same reasons and plan to continue planting cover crop seeds for numerous soil health benefits. OSU Extension is excited to offer this free program to vegetable gardeners of Mercer County to allow for residents to understand the benefits of cover crops.  If you have questions about the cover crop program, please call Mercer County OSU Extension at (419) 586-2179.