green manures

[PMW]

Just thinking ahead a bit and wondering if its worth sowing a green manure in the one spare raised bed I haven't made winter plans for yet? The bed is only 6ft x 3ft and still has courgettes and toms in at the moment.

There are quite a few toms still to ripen and the courgettes still seem to be going strong so if the weather holds I guess it could be another month before its empty. I've never grown a green manure before so wondered if this will give me time to sow and grow anything worthwhile and if so, does anyone have any recommendations?

[horticultural_hobbit]

Can try it, and see what happens. If for example, you sow something like fenugreek, you can chop it down and eat it once it gets so high and you have a plan. Green manures would certainly tide spare patches of dirt over til they are required. There is also hungary grazing rye if you have particularly heavy soil, in addition to red and white clover.

[Cue the Toms]

I'm growing green manures in one bed. It cannot do any harm and will help keep the weeds at bay at the very least!

[Two_Sheds]

wondering if its worth sowing a green manure ... it could be another month before its empty.

You need to sow now though, otherwise germination will be delayed until the spring if temps plummet. I've been sowing them for the last few weeks, as patches become vacant, or if I know a crop is nearly ready I will sow in drills around the crop.

http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ies_62160.html

http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ons_60036.html

[solway cropper]

I've never quite seen the point of them. If you have some spare ground get a crop bunged in. Not much help, of course, if you don't have a steady supply of young plants to fill gaps as they come available.

[sammy_roser]

I'm growing a type of mustard in one of my raised beds this year...

[zazen999]

I've never quite seen the point of them. If you have some spare ground get a crop bunged in. Not much help, of course, if you don't have a steady supply of young plants to fill gaps as they come available.

They are fab at adding nutrients and preventing nutrients from getting washed away, they germinate quickly being fresh seed and once growing, keep the weeds down, when chopped they provide a mulch, and they open up clay soils and add organic matter to sandy soils. What's not to like?

[Two_Sheds]

I've never quite seen the point of them. If you have some spare ground get a crop bunged in.

In addition to what Zaz said, I use them as a catch crop, as a living mulch around slow-growing crops like PSB, that's in the ground for 9 months.

I also have them edging my beds, so I can chop them and leave the cuttings as a mulch on those crops in that bed.

Also, there are times in the year when there isn't a crop to go in ... like now. It's too early for Jap onions and broad beans, but there are gaps where the summer crops are coming out


Oh, and ... you don't need to buy "green manures" to have green manure: you can utilise weeds and old foliage too. For instance, I'm pulling off all my bean foliage to ripen the pods quicker, and the leaves are being left on the soil as a mulch. I'm also chopping up any old stalks and leaves and leaving on the soil rather than composting it: it's much quicker to rot down when it's a mulch, plus it gives all the benefits of a mulch (weed suppression, temp control, moisture retention). Read this and this if you fancy a further read

[Dusty Rhodes]

Fellow grapes have covered it well above. I'd just like to add that if you use clover for a green manure there is another benefit...if the clover flowers, it really draws our wee friend the bee.

[Mr Potato Head]

Been very impressed with the mustard I have used in various spots this year. Grows fast, beneficial bugs love it and it looks great.

[Cue the Toms]

I just scattered my mustard seeds and it looks a bit patchy at the moment. Hopefully it will look better in a week or two:

[Mr Potato Head]

I think you will have a few patches there that could be do with some more seed but once the rest starts growing it will cover a lot.

I am just a bit OCD so probably spent 10 times as long as you, making sure that every bit was covered

[piskieinboots]

I wrote an article on this a couple weeks back - not sure if I'm allowed to post it though?

[Rhona]

We're sowing fenugreek as a green manure. We weighed up the pro/cons, listened to the experts, and studied the seed catalogues. Then we decided to just get something we could make a curry with.

[kentishgal]

Im doing more or less the same thing as the OP this year...in fact Im doing exactly the same thing! (sowing green manure in a 6ft x 3ft bed which had toms and courgettes in!!). 'cept my toms all got blight and the courgette leaves got eaten by big hairy caterpillers!!
Ive put forage rye in as an experiment.