August 2025

Backyard Conversation
Connecting Community + Conservation

Welcome to Franklin Soil and Water Conservation District's Backyard Conversation newsletter! Each month, we will share a conservation topic from a more personal viewpoint for our readers and residents. Thanks for reading!

Improve Soil Health with Cover Crops

About Cover Crops


Cover crops are legumes, forbs, and grasses to provide seasonal cover and conservation benefits. They are used by farmers as a sustainable agricultural practice to cover the soil, preventing erosion and breaking up compacted soil, and to provide nutrient enrichment for the soil. While it is an agricultural practice, residents and urban farmers can use cover crops and reap the benefits too!

Benefits of Cover Crops

Cover crops provide multiple benefits that improve soil health and water quality:

  • Absorb rain and retain soil moisture
  • Sequester carbon
  • Provide habitat for pollinators
  • Improve crop yields


Using cover crops can be a great addition to your sustainable practices and home gardening habits. Pair cover crops with crop rotation for a double whammy. Get an overview of cover crops and crop rotation here.

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Winter rye and radish cover crops used in an annual bed - captured in the winter!

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What Do Cover Crops Look Like?

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Using Cover Crops in Urban & Home Garden Settings

If you want to use cover crops but aren't sure where to start, keep reading. Easy places you can use cover crops are in your vegetable gardens and raised beds. You can plant the cover crops between your harvest crops to get better crop yields.


What cover crops should you use? It depends on your problems and goals. To make it easy, use the Cover Crop Decision Tool from the Midwest Cover Crop Council. In the tool, you will input your location and your goals. It will then tell you what cover crops will suit you and when to plant them.


Where can I buy cover crop seeds? You can purchase cover crop seeds from a few places including Ernst Seeds and OPN Seeds. If you are working with a larger plot and need a bulk option, consider Walnut Creek Seeds.


Where can I learn more and get into the details? Check out the Midwest Cover Crop Council's Training Modules for in-depth information including selection, planting, pest management, and more.

Dr. Tim McDermott, OSU Franklin County Extension, talking about cover crops

Midwest Cover Crop Council Resources

Community Backyards Logo 2023 - cropped

Our flagship program, Community Backyards has broken our all time participation record! We have issued over 3,200 vouchers since the program opened in April. For reference, we issued 3,100 vouchers last year in total. Please note, we are limited on funding for this program, so we may be out of funds in some communities for vouchers. Thank you all for your continued support. We couldn't do this program without our residents, partners, and funders.

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Upcoming Events


Find us at one of these upcoming events below. Stop by and say hi to our outreach team!



Interested in a monthly digest of volunteer events around the county? Sign up for our Monthly Volunteer Newsletter.

lonnie get grassy lawn care

August Yardening Tips from Lonnie the Garden Gnome


  • Native Plants: During the summer heat, your new native perennials and trees may need some watering during dry spells and hot temperatures. Once they get through their first growing season, they will be much more resilient and less needy beginning next growing season. Water as needed and follow their lead.


  • Lawn Care: When it comes to watering your lawn in the summer, water or don't. Your grass needs you to make your mind - let it go dormant and accept some brown spots --or-- commit to watering it 1" per week to keep it lush green. Measure it with a rain gauge to factor in rainfall and make sure you aren't over or under-watering. Dormancy is best suited for well-established lawns rather than new or heavily trafficked lawns. Residents in new developments where topsoil has been removed may want to keep their lawns watered to help it establish.


  • Composting: The summer heat will help your compost break down faster. Keep an eye on it during dry spells and water it if needed. Your compost pile needs to be as wet as a wrung out sponge but NEVER soaking wet. 

Question of the Month

Do you use cover crops?

Get the Scoop from Nature Scoop


Want to learn more about backyard conservation, pollinators, and more? Read the latest edition of the monthly newsletter Nature Scoop by Toni Stahl, National Wildlife Federation Habitat Ambassador.


Nature Scoop August 2025 - https://mailchi.mp/b69cffff0d14/nature-scoop-aug-2025

Save Monarchs. Climate-Smart Gardens. Native Plants. Tips for Our Yards & More!



Learn more at www.nwf.org/certify and at www.backyardhabitat.info

Mikaela Mohr

Outreach Program Coordinator

Franklin Soil and Water Conservation District

1404 Goodale Blvd. Suite 100, Columbus, OH 43212 

p: 614-486-9613 | e: mmohr@franklinswcd.org

Franklin Soil and Water Conservation District | (614) 486-9613 | www.franklinswcd.org

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