green manure

[roadkill]

I dont like the fact of using horse manure as it brings more weeds , is green manure good ? And which is the best stuff to get and where from ?

Also what time of year does this need to be planted and then dug in to rot for next years season?

cheers roadkill

[oldie]

Try the following link. BBC - Gardening - Gardening Guides - Techniques - Grow green manure

[rana]

I have found that green manure really improves my heavy ground when sown in the autumn (when there are more bare patches). Rye grass is better as it takes longer to mature and therefore has less chance of seeding (which you do not want unless you want to spend the next season weeding out green manure seedlings).

Sown on freshly turned soil the green manure seems to help considerably by preventing compaction. They also cover the ground thereby competing out more pernicious weeds. The roots open up the soil and the tops prevent the rain from creating a solid pan of soil. The plants are also using some of the water. Because the soil is looser I believe the worms are also more active and are therefore aiding soil fertility and aeration. I have found these physical actions alone are of great benefit rendering the soil considerably easier to dig in spring than un-sown patches.

When the green manure crop is mature you can dig in to further improve the soil structure and fertility but I generally cut it down before removing and composting a couple of weeks later.

In spring crops such as phacelia are good which grow fast and have pretty blue flowers that attract the bees.

I would not grow clover for fear of spending the next five years weeding the stuff out.

[Two_Sheds]

One recent thread on green manures. There are are 30 odd older ones too

[Madasafish]

Green Manure Seeds - Phacelia

is great if you like bees....

[gilwrig]

I get mine from Kings Seeds - I think they do all the main ones and also do a sowing / turning in guide on their website.

[oldie]

Just noticed that;-http://www.tuckers-seeds.co.uk/downloads.php has a pdf file of info on green manure use.

[Canny Grower]

I dont like the fact of using horse manure as it brings more weeds , is green manure good ? And which is the best stuff to get and where from ?

Also what time of year does this need to be planted and then dug in to rot for next years season?

cheers roadkill

Horses don't digest grains very well so their manure is full of weed seeds but it's still useful stuff. The best way is to compost it for a year or two before use - if you have the room. Composting should kill off most of the weed seeds.

[Glutton4...]

Horses don't digest grains very well so their manure is full of weed seeds but it's still useful stuff. The best way is to compost it for a year or two before use - if you have the room. Composting should kill off most of the weed seeds.

I bag mine direct from the stable each morning and stack the bags to sweat for six months or more. Then I add it to the soil and cover with opened up paper feed sacks (horse/chicken food), and peg them down. It rots, and the weed seeds don't germinate. When I've planted through the paper, I then mulch with grass mowings.

[Mikey]

Why not use cow manure instead, its not as productive, but their digestive systems kill off any seeds.

[JerseyJimbo]

un-rotted cow manure is full of nasties like salmonella etc... so take care with that...

[klf_1956]

Green Manure Seeds

Hi
I have recently sown a packet of seeds labelled ' Green Manure ', it consists of various grasses. I paid £2.99 for a pack which will be enough to cover 3 sq mts.
The pack instructions recomend leaving it in the ground until Feb/Mar next year.
I'll let you know how it goes

[gojiberry]

I have sown Caliente mustard recently which I am hoping will overwinter. The best deal I could find was Tozer seeds. Acts as a biofumigation when chopped up and dug in as well as improving the soil.

Ian

[flighty1]

I don't know about other folk but I get a couple of packets of dried peas from the supermarket & soak overnight. I then sow them on the allotment in any empty spaces & just leave them to grow till the frost kills them off. They then rot away over winter

[donnakebab]

I was thinking of doing just that myself. The dried peas that is. They are very obliging as far as sprouting and have used them for pea shoots in salads (BBC2 programme with that red headed lady). I used mustard as a green manure this year on one of my raised beds but haven't planted anything yet as still clearing plot of perenial weeds from last plot holder. Only just found out that can't plant brassicas there. Not really a problem though but wish i'd have known.