Using Green Manure

[MarkHackwell]

I have some empty spaces on my new allotment plot which I have now dug over and was thinking of putting some overwintering onions and shallots in but these won't arrive until at least the end of August. I have just taken on the plot so don't know if it's had any nutrients added or not. I was thinking of sowing some Green Manure now then when its matured digging it in then planting the overwintering onions and shallots instead of having bare patches of soil now and it will give the ground some nutrients What do people think of that idea? or would there be a better way of doing it? Thanks in advance.

[KevinM67]

I would plant some quick crops instead - still plenty of time to have some edible produce for this year.

I would leave the green manure until after Summer and then concentrate on the soil.

[solway cropper]

Nature abhors a vacuum and that's how I feel about bare soil. If you're going to grow something it might as well be something you can eat. As Kevin says, there are still plenty of veggies that will give you a crop this year so get something bunged in.

[Two_Sheds]

was thinking of putting some overwintering onions and shallots in ...sowing some Green Manure now ?

Yes, I would. Or fill the space with lettuces

I would leave the green manure until after Summer

You can't wait until autumn to sow GM though, because the GM needs to be growing well before winter arrives, otherwise it doesn't produce ground cover.

I have my GMs growing in and around my crops, all the time. It's a polyculture. When I need space for a crop, I pull the GM out (don't dig it in, just Chop n Drop on the soil).

I have no bare soil, ever. Ever ever.

(Photos in the FB link below)