Brassicas

Typically used as a complement to grasses, brassicas are scavengers that degrade quickly. They use their tap roots to mine the soil for nutrients that would have otherwise been lost. These cool-season annuals are excellent for increasing diversity, addressing soil compaction, and suppressing the root-knot nematode. Most will winter kill with multiple days of temperatures in the teens, so timely fall planting is critical for maximizing growth.