Lupins as green manure?

[Oleander]

Just harvested the last of my leeks and have a bare patch as a result, and nothing else ready to go in yet. I have sown some red cabbages in modules today but I don't expect that they will be ready to go out for weeks and weeks yet.

So, in the June GYO mag I spotted a small article about using green manures for bare patches, with a pic of some lovely lupins in full bloom. I duly toddled of to the gc to get some seeds, and I have just got around to reading the back of the packet. It says to cut them down before they bloom!!!!!!

Do I really have to do that and, if so, what's that pic in the gyo mag all about?

[Alice]

Jings Oleander, I haven't seen the article in the mag but I haven't heard of using lupins for green manure - but there are many wonders in the world'
I would think you would have to chop them in before they flowered or you would have the seeds coming up everywhere. And the flowers are much too nice to chop. I just love the scent of them - one of my favourite smells on earth.
Will be interesting to hear what the idea is all about.

[Fluorescent green]

If you are carefull, perhaps you could let them flower, but not go to seed. Altho I would have thought that smaller plants would be better as green manure.

FG

[digthatchick]

They are not your normal Lupins these are Lupinus angustifolius better known as the Bitter Blue Lupin - they are used as green manure.

See article - Royal Horticultural Society | Advice Search | Green manures

[Oleander]

So the lupins pictured on p12 of the gyo June edition (if you have it) are not Bitter Blue Lupins? and therefore not suitable as green manure?

In which case, would someone from GYO like to defend the use of that picture (can you tell I feel somewhat annoyed at being misled!)

[Dottie]

I too have read somewhere that lupins were good, as they are from the pea family, so you get the same benefits.

The article hadn't said you could only use one variety of lupin and didn't say anything about digging in before flowering. I had assumed I'd be able to let them flower, in the same way of letting peas harvest, then chop off the flowers and stems and dig in the roots.

That's what many suggest with the rest of the pea family, so I don't see why you can't do that with lupins. I viewed it as an excellent way of having flowers on the allotment, whilst also feeding the soil.

[Two_Sheds]

Here's a good article on lupins as green manure. Lupins (Blue) Green Manure Seeds

they are leguminous, so you might want to think where they fit in your crop rotation.

[tootles]

Try looking here too;

http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ops_18687.html

SBP posted about this a while ago. I am quite interested in the idea - but tend only to have spare beds over the winter, which is no good.