Sustainable Practices for Vegetable Production in the South
Dr. Mary Peet, NCSU
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Korean and striate lespedeza are examples of annual lespedezas. Striate varieties mature later than Korean varieties. Both have good drought tolerance but are very cold sensitive, particularly when nearing maturity. Typically lespedeza is seeded at a rate of 30 to 40 pounds per acre two weeks before the last killing frost in the spring. They grow well in hot weather and tolerate grazing from July to September. Lespedezas also tolerate acid soils with low fertility.

Annual sweet clover (legume)

Annual sweet clover is very sensitive to cold, has high nitrogen fixation capabilities, low to moderate shade tolerance, and moderate to high drought tolerance. It establishes itself quickly and then continues to grow rapidly. Widely adapted, it can be planted up to 60 days before the first killing frost. The seeding rate is 10 to 25 pounds per acre.

Berseem clover (legume)

Berseem clover is very sensitive to cold, has moderate to high nitrogen fixation capability, shade and drought tolerance, and is very fast to establish. It grows best on a loam-to-clay-loam soil with a pH of 6.0 to 7.0. The seeding rate is 15 to 20 pounds per acre. In the lower south, berseem clover can also be seeded in October for growth as a winter crop.

Buckwheat (non-legume)

Buckwheat is very sensitive to cold, has moderate shade tolerance and low to moderate drought tolerance. It is very fast to establish and is a good crop to smother weeds or tie up nutrients that would otherwise leach out of the soil. It is widely adapted and can be planted any time after the soil warms up in the spring. The seeding rate is 30 to 60 pounds per acre. If left to flower, it will reseed to some extent.

Cowpea (legume)

Cowpeas have very low cold and shade tolerance, moderate drought tolerance, and high nitrogen fixation capabilities. Cowpeas can be planted anytime after the last killing frost, are very quick to establish and grow well in hot weather. They prefer a sandy loam to loam soil with a pH of 5.5 to 7.0. The seeding rate is 30 to 90 pounds per acre.

Garden Pea (legume)

As well as being a cash crop in the spring, garden peas can serve as a spring cover crop. Ideally, they would be followed with a fall crop such as tomatoes, cabbage or broccoli. They have low to moderate nitrogen fixation and biomass production compared to other legumes.

Mungbeans (legume)

Like cowpeas, mungbeans tolerate hot, dry summers but have very low cold tolerance. After the soil has thoroughly warmed, mungbeans should be seeded at a rate of 10 to 15 pounds per acre.

Millet (grass)

Two kinds of millet, pearl millet and browntop millet, are grown in the South. Both are quick growing annual grasses mainly used for pasture and hay. Pearl millet tolerates mowing, requires adequate nitrogen levels and prefers a sandy loam soil. Since it has thick stems, it needs to be cut with a rotary mower. The crop is established by drilling seed at a rate of 10 to 20 pounds per acre after the last frost. Browntop millet is especially adapted for hay production. It is a quick growing annual that can become a weed if left to reseed.

Sorghum-sudangrass (grass)

Sorghum-sudangrass is a hybrid of sorghum and sudangrass. It has good drought and heat tolerance, but is very cold sensitive. These hybrids are very fast growing and produce a high amount of biomass. They have also been reported to decrease subsequent growth of common ragweed, redroot pigweed, purslane and foxtail. These grasses are even more cold sensitive than corn and so should be planted after the soils have warmed up in the spring, at least two weeks after corn planting time.

Soybean (legume)

Soybeans are sensitive to cold and must be planted after the last killing frost. They have high nitrogen fixation capability, are quick to establish and will shade out weeds. 'Hay' varieties tend to be finer stemmed and produce viney vegetative growth. The seeding rate is 40 to 100 pounds per acre.