Interesting experiences with legumes, but I'm curious—have you tried crimson clover yet? I was skeptical too after peas turned into rabbit snacks and vetch went rogue on me, but crimson clover surprised me. It handled my clay soil pretty well, didn't attract as many critters, and wasn't nearly as aggressive as hairy vetch. Might be worth a shot if you're ever feeling brave enough to dip back into legumes...
I've got to admit, crimson clover surprised me too. After my fiasco with hairy vetch—honestly, that stuff took over faster than I could blink—I was pretty skeptical about legumes in general. But crimson clover was different. It didn't go wild and invade every corner of the yard, and it actually improved my heavy clay soil noticeably after just one season. Still, I wouldn't say it's totally critter-proof; rabbits mostly left it alone, but deer seemed intrigued enough to nibble occasionally.
One thing I'd suggest is planting it a bit thicker than recommended if you're aiming for weed suppression or erosion control. I found that sparse patches let weeds sneak through pretty easily. Overall though, it's been one of the few cover crops that's genuinely lived up to the hype for me...and trust me, I've tried plenty that haven't.
Funny you mention crimson clover—I had a similar experience with buckwheat. Thought it'd be a quick fix for erosion control around my DIY concrete foundation project, but it ended up patchy and weeds crept right back in. Your tip about planting thicker makes sense; wish I'd thought of that earlier. Might give crimson clover a shot next season, especially if it helps with clay soil...mine's practically concrete itself, haha. Did you prep your soil much beforehand, or just toss the seeds and hope for the best?
"Did you prep your soil much beforehand, or just toss the seeds and hope for the best?"
Honestly, I went with the "toss and pray" method at first—figured nature would sort itself out. Big mistake. After a season of patchy disappointment, I bit the bullet and lightly raked in some compost before reseeding thicker. Made a huge difference. Crimson clover's been solid for me on clay-heavy ground, but yeah, buckwheat was a bust here too... weeds loved it though, haha.
Interesting you mention crimson clover doing well on clay-heavy soil—I’ve been struggling with that myself. Did you find compost alone was enough to loosen things up, or did you also have to do some deeper tilling? I've heard mixed opinions about tilling clay soils, with some folks saying it helps drainage and others claiming it just compacts things even more in the long run. Curious if you've noticed any difference either way.
Also, speaking of buckwheat—did you try planting it at a specific time of year? I had a neighbor swear by planting it late summer as a quick cover crop, but when I tried it earlier in spring, weeds completely took over. Maybe timing matters more than I realized...
