Green Manure

I have just had some good results from my first year with raised beds for my veg. However, I am concerned about the nutrients washing out over winter and I was interested in a BBC Gardners' World item on growing green manure. This sounds great but I am concerned about what they say you have to do,when the stuff has grown. They suggest planting some clovers and rye grass and say you just dig it in. Surely if you dig in Rye Grass, you will just end up with a raised bed full of Rye Grass? Or am I being stupid? I would have thought the same with most plants?

 

I use yellow mustard, as you can eat the leaves too, just sown some after lifting the spuds.

 

Thanks Ziggy

What do you think about "digging in" Rye Grass??

 

If your beds are deep enough, you could illegitimate child trench it. Dig a trench 2 spits deep, put the turf in the bottom of the first trench & carry on till its all dug in. Just make sure no couch grass has crept in.
http://www.homegardenguides.com/wiki/Trenching
Personally, if I wasn't using mustard, i'd use clover as it fixes nitrogen in its root nodules.

 

Yes I've used green manure, sown some fenugreek (sp) at the allotment after digging up the potatoes, the pack says to dig it in before it flowers which will be aprox may next year. Last year I used another one (can't remember which one!) in another area of the allotment and it was great. I think it's a good way of putting back some nutrients into the soil.

 

I've just bought a big mixed pack of green manure.

Rye, Vetch, Italian Ryegrass and Forage Pea. Lovely.

Who needs fertiliser!

 

I was watching Gardeners World the other night and they were talking about green manure. I must confess I'd never heard the phrase before. Will definitely try some this year though.

:-)

 

I've just ordered a packet of winter mix green manure from "sowseeds.co.uk". It is a very helpfull sight as it explains which one to sow, why and when. Cheap too:thumb:

 

If you really wanted to go for a green manure, try comfrey, the roots go really deep & bring up nutrients that otherwise wouldn't be available to most plants. Its full of nitrogen & therefore rots down easily or can be used to make a good liquid feed.

Don't use it if your garden is on an old landfill site though :usr: