green manure

boebrummie · May 8, 2010

any suggestions please.

Marley Farley · May 8, 2010

Hi ya boe, I usually use mustard during the year & if you have ground lying fallow a good thing to do.. This is a good description & what to do when..

Green manures are ideal whenever a patch of land is going to be free of crops for six weeks or more, and they are particularly useful to vegetable gardeners and allotment holders. Although many green manures can be sown all year round, they are ideal when sown in the autumn to overwinter, when vegetable plots are generally empty.
They have many benefits. As they grow they form a green carpet that prevents weeds from growing and some have the ability to absorb nitrogen from the air, which is transferred to the roots and released when dug into the soil, giving a boost to the vegetables that follow. Growing a green manure in winter prevents soil from having nutrients washed away by rain or snow, and some varieties have a fibrous root system that helps to give the soil structure. Clover is a green manure that can be left to grow for a year - when it flowers it attracts bees and other pollinating insects.
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What to do

Prepare the soil by removing weeds, digging over if it hasn't been recently cultivated and raking level.
Scatter seeds over the surface of the soil using around 50g of seed per square metre or following suppliers recommendations for specific crops.
Make sure the seed is in firm contact with the soil by gently tapping over the surface with the back of a spade. Water in well.
Bare patches should be covered within two to three weeks and plants will the most good if they are left for around eight weeks before digging in.
If plants start to flower before this, cut off the tops and dig in. Leave the green manure to decompose in the soil for up to four weeks before growing vegetables.
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Five to try

Mustard - sow from March to September
Crimson clover - sow from April to August
Grazing rye - sow from August to October
Winter tares - sow from March to September
Winter field beans - sow from September to November

Click to expand...

boebrummie · May 8, 2010

thank you. are they just used to dig in to the soil, or can some be used and eaten from.
sorry for all the questions.

Marley Farley · May 8, 2010

The idea is to grow & dig in when young & green for the high nitrogen content... So you are not letting them get big enough to eat really..:thumb:

boebrummie · May 10, 2010

oh i see.
thanks :thumb:
my heads hurting trying to get around all this. lol
i can see why a lot of people give up,

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green manure

boebrummie Gardener

Marley Farley Affable Admin! Staff Member

boebrummie Gardener

Marley Farley Affable Admin! Staff Member

boebrummie Gardener

Thoughts on the statement 'a good covering of weeds is as good as a crop of green manure'?

Farmyard Manure and top soil mixture proportions for greenhouse rasied beds?

Green manure

Green Manure Question

green manure ?

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Log in or Sign up

green manure

boebrummie Gardener

Marley Farley Affable Admin! Staff Member

boebrummie Gardener

Marley Farley Affable Admin! Staff Member

boebrummie Gardener

Thoughts on the statement 'a good covering of weeds is as good as a crop of green manure'?

Farmyard Manure and top soil mixture proportions for greenhouse rasied beds?

Green manure

Green Manure Question

green manure ?

Share This Page

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