To protect and enrich the soil we try to plant green manure as cover crop as soon as a plot has been harvested and there is bare soil. Many of the green manure plants also attract beneficial insects and pollinators.
| Name | Binomial name | Family | Winter hardy | Sow in* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Red clover | Trifolium pratense | Fabaceae | yes | March – August |
| White clover | Trifolium repens | Fabaceae | yes | March – August |
| Persian clover | Trifolium resupinatum | Fabaceae | no | March – August |
| Crimson clover | Trifolium incarnatum | Fabaceae | yes | April – September |
| Field bean | Vicia faba | Fabaceae | yes | February – July |
| Blue lupin | Lupinus angustifolia or L micranthus | Fabaceae | no | April – August |
| Serradella | Ornithopus sativus | Fabaceae | no | April – August |
| Common vetch | Vicia sativa | Fabaceae | no | April – August |
| Alfalfa | Medicago sativa | Fabaceae | yes | March – August |
| Buckhweat | Fagopyrum esculentum | Polygonaceae | no | April – August |
| Lacy phacelia | Phacelia tanacetifolia | Boraginaceae | no | March – September |
| Common flax | Linum usitatissimum | Linaceae | no | April – August |
| Mustard | Sinapsis alba | Brassicaceae | no | March – October |
| Oilseed radish | Raphenus sativa L. var. Oleiformis Pers. | Brassicaceae | no | March – October |
| Bristle oat | Avena strigosa | Poaceae | no | April – October |
| Winter rye | Secale cereale | Poaceae | yes | August – October |
* German climate zone