lol thats what mick thompson and i have been talking about in our threads. you must not have read them.
anywho yes clover is a good cover crop, and to get the N benefits the seed need to be annoculated with the correct bacteria.(there are different types for different types of legumes). i may add some crimson to my cover seed mix this year like Mick and for sure mixing it with barley, and maybe winter peas. winter oats would also be a good cover in this area and the deer like it too. ive been using oats and 7 tops for years but am looking at barley this year because of the root penetration during winter crop for hard soils. it also produces "green manure" tonnage and tillage for soil building.
a garden should never be left bare as it increases weed seed germination inthe spring, erosion, etc. if no cover crops are planted then a thick layer of wheat straw or hay mulch can be used. just make sure you get first cutting hay or you will have a lot of weed seeds mixed in, or even better hay that has been left sitting out for a couple of years as the weed seeds have already sprouted and rotted.
as widowmaker said clover can put too much N back into the soil if planted alone depending on how much N fertilizer you used and how much uptake by the garden vegetables. thats the beauty of mixing with grass grain like oats, barley, etc. they grow quick, pulling excess N out of the soil and are winter killed and the biomass left will decompose quickly in the spring. the clover will continue to grow and when it is killed off in the spring the N it produces is readily used by garden vegetables. by doing this you will use less commercial N fertilizers. oats also scavenge excess P and P as well.
