Vineyardists have an array of cover crop choices, but the type of cover crop that works best will depend on overall vineyard management goals. Choices range from annuals to perennials and from grasses, legumes, and forbs, to native vegetation. Dr. Mercy Olmstead, Extension viticulturist for Washington State University, describes grasses as being beneficial in windy areas prone to soil erosion. Grasses tend to form large, fibrous root systems and provide important biomass that can help increase organic matter in the vineyard soil. Cereal grasses like rye, oats, barley, and triticale are often used as annual systems, planted in the fall […]