<p>Cover crops are grown between main crops in temperate climates to cover the soil, capture remnant nitrogen (N) from the profile after harvest, and build organic matter in the soil. There is ongoing discussion whether mixtures perform better than monocultures and whether a starter N application should be given to cover crops to enhance their growth and increase the associated ecosystem services, including the capture of remnant N remaining in the soil in autumn. We studied, in a two-year experiment on a sandy soil near Wageningen, the biomass accumulation and N yield of three cover crop species, oilseed radish (<i>Raphanus sativus)</i>, black oat (<i>Avena strigosa)</i> and common vetch (<i>Vicia sativa)</i>, as well as their 3-species mixture at 5 levels of N input, from 0 to 90&#xa0;kg N/ha. We also estimated N leaching. We did not identify any effect of increasing N fertilization on the capture of remnant N from the soil profile in any of the cover crops at any N rate. Neither did we identify a decrease in N leaching in any of the cover crops at any N rate. Mineral N concentrations in soil were highest under vetch. We did find that in some combinations of cover crop species and N input, the capture of remnant N from the soil was decreased while N leaching was increased if N fertilizer was given, indicating an increased risk for N leaching. Net N capture of the 3-species mixture was not reduced at high N application rates. Biomass of the 3-species mixture was similar to or higher than the best performing monoculture. Results show that under the conditions of the study (e.g. sandy soil), the ecosystem service of N capture after a main crop was not improved, and in some cases deteriorated, by giving starter N fertilizer. This applied to all cover crop species, legume or non-legume, as well as a species mixture. The mixture was best able to take high N input without a decrease in net N uptake or an increase in N leaching.</p>