green manures

[PMW]

The caterpillers in my garden were so happy that I provided a load of uncovered kale plants to munch on they've kept well away from the courgettes. I would like to claim this has been a cunning diversionary plan on my behalf. If that seems a bit far-fetched, then at least my ignorance had some benefit and I now have a better understanding of why netting might be a good idea!

Anyway, I've ordered these online:

1 x HUNGARIAN GRAZING RYE
1 x PHACELIA TANACETIFOLIA

I was thinking of sowing a mixture of the two to make it look a bit more interesting, but I'm not sure if it might be getting a bit late for the Phacelia.

[kathyd]

The caterpillers in my garden were so happy that I provided a load of uncovered kale plants to munch on they've kept well away from the courgettes. I would like to claim this has been a cunning diversionary plan on my behalf. If that seems a bit far-fetched, then at least my ignorance had some benefit and I now have a better understanding of why netting might be a good idea!

Anyway, I've ordered these online:

1 x HUNGARIAN GRAZING RYE
1 x PHACELIA TANACETIFOLIA

I was thinking of sowing a mixture of the two to make it look a bit more interesting, but I'm not sure if it might be getting a bit late for the Phacelia.

My self-seeded phacelia is still popping up all over the place, so if it's not too cold where you are you could give it a try. However, I don't know how tall your rye grass will grow, but be aware that my phacelia grew very tall and straggly, and tended to take over whichever beds it was in... The bees loved it when it flowered in the spring, so I left a few plants in amongst crops - never again! They take over, and they shade out the crops and make it really hard to find anything which does cope with it. It's quite an assertive plant! I do love it though, and will probably use it again. Trying red clover this year for a change.

[BarleySugar]

Now we've had a good rain I'm going to sow my green manure. I'm on clay, so I chose mustard and winter tares. I've also got a load of weevil damaged field beans, which are in the freezer to kill off any remainng weevils. I'm planted these in any spare space at the plot, hopefully later today. I think it's still warm enough for them to germinate, hasn't been below 8C at night here yet. There was no point sowing earlier because the soil was dry as a bone, and there didn't seem much point in watering just to get them in a week or so earlier.

[Two_Sheds]

The caterpillers in my garden were so happy that I provided a load of uncovered kale plants to munch on .... I'm not sure if it might be getting a bit late for the Phacelia.

Mustard: will attract and be eaten by cabbage whites if sown too early (in the autumn)
Rye: I found to be extremely difficult to cut and "dig in" when needed
Phacelia: is just lovely, I let it self-seed around the plot now and just pull it out as space is needed. It's not winter hardy and a frost will kill it, but it comes back again in the spring

my phacelia...tended to take over whichever beds it was in......I left a few plants in amongst crops - never again! They take over, and they shade out the crops

That's a bonus in my book, because it shades the weeds out. If it's coming up where it's not wanted, it's very easy to pull out (shallow rooted). Then I just chop it up with seckys and drop it on the soil as a mulch

[veggiechicken]

Just had this Friends of the Earth: Green manure : Growing concerns : Articles