The Cold-Resistant Golden Grass To Grow In Fall That Helps Break Up Compact Soil

Fall is the time when many gardeners put their plots to bed. The harvest is over, you've cleaned up and composted leftover vines and stalks, and there is nothing left to do until spring. But did you know there is something you could do in the fall to improve and prevent compacted soil over the winter? It's planting a cover crop. One of the best cover crops to use is winter wheat (Triticum aestivum). Winter wheat is resistant to extremely cold temperatures, and its roots can aerate your soil, making it a great option to break up compaction over the winter and prepare garden beds for planting in the spring.

Using a cover crop at the end of your growing season has other benefits, too. It helps prevent erosion, improves water absorption, and keeps nutrients locked in until you're ready to plant your summer crops. Winter wheat is also one of the cover crops that will help suppress weeds in your garden, making your spring planting easier and less of a chore. By reducing the amount of time you spend weeding and preparing the soil, you'll have more time to enjoy your garden doing the things you love. Adding this low-maintenance grass to your fall garden beds is an easy win.

Winter wheat is best suited to USDA Hardiness Zones 3 through 7. Make sure that when you purchase your seed, it specifies the "winter" variety of wheat. Plant it anytime from mid-September through the beginning of December. To get started, rough up and even out the soil with a rake, making sure to remove any debris or large rocks, then scatter your seed over the surface. Gently rake the area again and water using the lightest setting on your garden hose. 

The roots of winter wheat will drill down over the winter and help loosen compacted soil. This aeration makes it possible for spring plants to root properly and access nutrients from deeper underground. It's especially helpful for root crops like carrots, because compacted soil can cause them to grow short and misshapen. Winter wheat is also a great cover crop to use for a raised bed garden, offering nutrient retention and weed suppression without disrupting the soil structure.

In the spring, just before you plant, you can mow or till the grass into the soil of your garden to add valuable organic material. If you are starting a no-till garden, simply cut the wheat to the ground after it flowers but before it begins to produce seed. Leave the stems as mulch to further suppress weed growth. All in all, using winter wheat as a cover crop takes little time or maintenance and can be a great boon to your spring garden. You might even notice a difference in your yields.