New season orders

Not sure they would be ready to "harvest" at that time, that's the time we start lifting them for use (rather than storage). But I suppose if blight strikes, or is probable, then you they would be mature enough to lift. Climate probably more mild with you, than here, so your crop might be a bit earlier - and you could plant them early too as I don;t think they came up very quickly - so the tops would not be up to catch the last frost

 

.

I was always told to do "rough" autumn/winter digging to let the elements, wind frost and rain work their magic on the soil over the winter months, so come the spring all that had to be done was a rake over to level and hey presto, a lovely tilth for sowing or planting!

With sowing a "green manure" this defeats the object totally, for on any occasion that I have dug over soil that in the spring that have had savoys etc overwintered the soil has been very difficult to manage that season!

And as far as " green manure" putting anything bask into the soil, where did any goodness come from in the first place?
It is supposed to cover the soil to keep down weeds and stop the goodness leaching from the soil!

With the exception of lupins which fix nitrogen from the air I cannot see any of them being of any benefit, as well as costing the earth to buy the seed in the first place!

Gardening is supposed to be a simple pleasure, some of these ideas make it difficult.

.

 

Hi Makker,

The goodness comes from the plants harvesting the suns energy over the winter. I can see your point about nitrogen robbery, which is why I would choose a nitrogen fixing legume to plant on any bits that i'd green manured. Or throw a bucket of wee on it after digging it in.

Mind you, any green manures i've used recently have not been dug in, just harvested & composted to go back in next year, best of both worlds there, no bare ground to get leached over winter, suns energy harvested & no digging in to do. Mustard gets pulled to leave reasonably clean ground underneath ready for planting.

You have the choice of either composting it or running it thru the lawn mower & using it as a mulch too.

 

P.S. Had some of the green manure for lunch yesterday, very nice.