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Soil Builder Peas and Oats Cover Crop Seeds
Soil Builder Peas and Oats Cover Crop Seeds
Pisum sativum and Avena sativa
1,040 seeds
Free shipping on orders over $79
Product Details
Product Details
This hardworking combination of field peas and oats quickly improves the soil with nutrients and organic material, while helping supress weeds. The mix is also perfect for conditioning areas being turned into gardens, such as lawns and vacant lots. Pea plants fix nitrogen and condition the topsoil, while the flowers and bees and other beneficial insects. Oats hold nitrogen, provide organic material, and suppress weeds. When sown in the fall, peas and oats grow heartily in the cool weather but are killed by the cold temperatures of winter (USDA zones 7 and colder) and won't regrow in the spring. The dead plant material provides a wonderful winter mulch that helps prevent soil erosion and is ready to be tilled into the garden as soon as soil can be worked in the spring.
Your hardiness zone is
- Variety Info
- Sowing Info
- Growing Info
Variety Info
Days to Maturity: 50–70 days
Family: PEAS: Fabaceae; OATS: Poaceae
Native: PEAS: Africa, Asia, Europe. OATS: Unknown
Hardiness: Frost-tolerant annuals
Exposure: Full sun
Plant Dimensions: PEAS: 3'–5' vines OATS: 4' tall
Variety Info: Field peas are climbing vines. Oats produce tall grass-like plants. The peas and oats in this mix are best used as a cover crop and are not good as edible varieties.
Attributes: Frost Tolerant
Sowing Info
When to Sow Outside: Spring: As soon as soil can be worked, and soil temperature is at least 40°F. Fall: 6 to 8 weeks before first fall frost date, and when temperatures are below 80°F. Mild Climates: Sow in fall or winter for growth during the cool season.
When to Start Inside: Not applicable.
Sprouts in: 7–14 days
Plant Seeds (Depth): 1"
Space Seeds: Scatter seeds about 3" apart
Thinning: Not required
Growing Info
Harvesting: To harvest pea shoots for eating, snip off the top growth including a set of leaves after plants reach 6"-8" tall. Plants will continue to grow and branch out. The thin, stringy tendrils can be harvested as desired.
- Tracy ..Verified BuyerRated 4 out of 5 starsMar 24, 20254 Stars
Maybe some further instructions on the packet for zones that don't get a hard frost? I'm not even sure what to do with all this at this point. Keep the roots or try to extricate?
- Hayley L.Verified BuyerRated 5 out of 5 starsFeb 23, 20255 Stars
Fast delivery and seeds grew well even with my 4 year old’s “help”
- Anne M.Verified BuyerRated 5 out of 5 starsDec 8, 20235 Stars
This is the first time I planted a cover crop. The seeds germinated quickly and are thriving despite some overnight freezes. The coverage seems sparse, though, and I wonder if it will work as well as mulch in preventing weeds from appearing in the spring.
Which best describes you as a gardener? Intermediate - Dianna M.Verified BuyerRated 5 out of 5 starsNov 23, 20235 Stars
Great germination and growth. This weekend we will flatten the plants (they're almost 2 feet high after only 6 weeks or so) and cover with mulched leaves so they decay over the winter and ready to plant in spring. Z8a Georgia
- Rose U.Verified BuyerRated 5 out of 5 starsOct 31, 2026Lots of oats, fewer peas
I'm in zone 6 and the oats are tall in two beds. There are fewer peas but I still believe they will come up this fall or next spring. I'm hoping this will improve soil tarnished by black walnut's juglone poison. Tree was cut down and stump ground out. The beds with the cover crop will be the test for the rest of the beds. Easy to grow.
EGEpic GardeningNov 3, 2026Hey Rose,
Thank you so much for taking the time to share your experience with us! We really appreciate you testing the Soil Builder Peas and Oats Cover Crop Seeds in zone 6 and giving us such honest feedback about how they're growing in your beds.
It's great to hear that the oats are doing well and getting tall! We also appreciate you being patient with the peas and hopeful about their growth this fall or next spring. Your dedication to using this cover crop as a test for improving those beds affected by the juglone is really impressive, and we're rooting for your soil recovery efforts. Please let us know how it goes!
Thanks again for choosing our seeds and for sharing your thoughts. Keep on growing 🌻
