Green Manure - options?

[BroadRipple]

quick question green manure fans...for a teeny weeny patch of soil where I'm thinking I might put a jostaberry and a goosegog, and other currants currantly ho ho are planted, are crimson clover etc. still good ones to choose? for fruit bushes there doesn't seem to be an obvious choice.
Is there even any point? I'd like to do it for weed suppression and soil improvement, some nitrogen good too I suppose, but if we're talking a few square feet does it really help much?
And I have some Thompson and Morgan 'Green Manure' seeds but these seem to be largely ryes, according to their site...which sounds wrong for me.
Thank you everyone. Congratulations ChrisMarks and Mrs Chris

[chris]

Congrats Chris and Mrs Marks. Pics of new arrival??

Thanks elizajay - there's some in this thread: http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...tml#post884605 Few more on my facebook profile if you're friends with me on there/use it

Thanks too, BR! For a small patch (I've probably a bed which is at most 1.5' deep of rasps at home) I don't bother with growing something there for weed supression, I've used newspaper/cardboard before (wetted after put down - doesn't look great, but I bunged compost on top of it), no weeds so far.. any that do germinate there tend to be small and my chickens eat up.

If you do sow something around them, it may be worth leaving a space around the stem near the soil incase you want to feed (or spread ash around it).

[Two_Sheds]

I undersow my fruit bushes with limnanthes - a favourite of hoverflies, which eat aphids, which eat currants

[Aberdeenplotter]

I undersow my fruit bushes with limnanthes - a favourite of hoverflies, which eat aphids, which eat currants

And the limnathes(poached egg plant) are very pretty too.

[chris]

Could I sow some limnathes now, to get some green coverage before the frosts? I'm not bothered about the flowering, I just need to cover 1/2 a plot with something.... I'll be doing it bit by bit mind.

[Two_Sheds]

You've missed the boat for this autumn Chris, they probably won't germinate now before spring. Mine self-sow, (they go to seed mid-summer ish) and they've now been in flower for a week

Green manures really need to be down in August

[chris]

d'oh! kids taking up my time!!

edit:

Thanks Cardboard/manure it is then!

[Alison]

Green manures really need to be down in August

Depends on the type, I sowed various types in October last year and they did very well. I don't really have any space until about now so the summer sown ones aren't much use for me. I know further up the thread Rye Grass is given a thumbs down, I however found it fab last year, sowed late it germinated well, stood the winter with no problems etc. I simply pulled it up and raked in a bit come Marchish and it gave good body to the soil.

[Arthur Pounder]

For the first time - I have one bed that I have sown Phacelia and one with Crimson Clover.

What is the actual process come Spring?

Do you leave them to flower but not seed? Do you chop them into the soil where they stand leaving the roots in? Or pull them up and chop them in or leave them to die?

I know this seems like trivial panicking but I really want to stop the inevitable old ladies walking past the plot, pulling faces and saying 'You did what?

[Two_Sheds]

I sowed various types in October last year and they did very well.

Well it just goes to show.
When I've sown them in Sept/Oct they haven't put on enough growth to cover the beds during Nov-Feb.

What is the actual process come Spring?

You're supposed to cut them just before they flower because that's when most nutrients are in the leaves.
Cut and wilt, and dig in or chuck on the compost heap

I tend to let mine flower, because the bees love them so

[Two_Sheds]

Phacelia is my new favourite. I made a short video (poor quality, sorry): green manure, phacelia - YouTube

[Helgalush]

Good video TS.

[Dorothy rouse]

Hi, I'm having a problem actually finding any green manure to sow, where is the best place, and what would you advise for a very rough and stony area?

[VirginVegGrower]

Try the Organic Gardening catalogue. They have a full range. Suffolk Herbs are another one that you sometimes find in your local garden centres.

[Two_Sheds]

what would you advise for a very rough and stony area?

ime, alfalfa is the best for very poor soil ~ it grows even where weeds won't

If you do a google search for "alfalfa seeds UK" you'll have a lot of choice: I bought from this one