End of season - green manure

I've just googled around for "green manure" and wished I had not...its very extensive.

What is a good weed smothering green manure that can be grown from september, through the winter then dug in early spring?

Steve...

 

"Winter Mix" or is that a bit technical?

I think Moles range is quite cost-effective (although you have to pay carriage, which is free on orders not including Peas, beans, Green manures, Sprouting seeds and Grass I think). If my maths is right its 3.4p / sq.m. for a £10 outlay [sufficient for 333 sq.m. coverage]

That includes Crimson Clover, Broad Leaf Red Clover and White Tilney Mustard

They also do a Winter Tares Jose - Nitrogen-fixing for over wintering - which looks like its 2p / sq.m. £10.90 / 5KG, 5lbcod sq.m = 909 sq.m ?

I have bought Winter Mix for this coming Winter, and also Field Beans (which I have read are well suited to my heavy soil)

Green Manure - Conventional vegetables - Moles Seeds

I found this helpful:

Choosing a Green Manure Seed

 

As usual, many thanks Kristen, I think the two you mention would both suit my needs and soil. A fellow plot holder was digging in red clover this morning and had done the same to some vetches last week.

Steve...

 

Conflicting advice?

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I cannot see the advantage of wasting money sowing so called green manure as with the probable exception of legumes that fix nitrogen from the air, all the rest take the goodness from the soil and all of the goodness will not go back, as some of the nitrogen will be lost into the air when it rots down!

At one time it was supposed to be only any good on sandy soils, to take up any goodness left to stop the winter rains washing the goodness out of the soil!

Soil left bare and winter dug helps to make a finer tilth, mine this spring is almost perfect, after the pounding it got from the frosts last winter!

And also bare soil lets you keep on top of the weeds.

Cheers!

 

Interesting point. Is one school of thought that the green manure takes up the nutrients that would otherwise be washed out, and that they are then put back when you turn it in?

I don't think that Nitrogen hangs about long in the soil anyway - there is recent research that a crop of Legumes from the previous year, even with their roots left behind when the crop is cleared, contributes no extra Nitrogen to Brassicas the following year.

I suppose the answer is to do half the area, and see if the following crop shows any difference on the "treated" patch

I agree with a good winter making a nice seedbed, but I haven't sown crops directly in the soil for years, I never have enough time when the soil is right to do the sowing, and my heavy soil is never ready early enough. I can sow seeds indoors after dark, any night of the week, so it fits in with work better than direct sowing outdoors! And the plants, when planted out (which has some "slop" in the timing, which also suits "work"), compete with the weeds far better as they have a month or-so's head start.

I've not done over-winter green manure before, and I will be interested to see how the loss of winter frost action compares, as that benefits my clay soil more than anything else I reckon.

 

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Kristen

The reason that I had so much clear ground to cultivate last winter was because of I think one rabbit!

Although my plot is supposedly rabbit proof, one kept getting in some how and I had planted lots of autumn caulis, winter cabbage, savoys and spring greens, all were destroyed by a rabbit, as it left it's trademark droppings!

They were not worth trying to save, so I got on with digging the lot over,then I rotavated the lot twice, with great results with very fine soil!

But few veggies in the mean time!

 

I'm going with Broad Beans Steve, but it's the first time I've bothered with a green manure crop...will be interesting to see how it turns out. They are doing very well it's got to be said, been getting pretty cool here as we head into winter.

 

Not said hello before, so Hi Harrowed Turf,

Only green manure i've used is mustard, thats mainly because I can eat the leaves though.