Green manure Question.

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Green manure Question.

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gardening-girl

Joined: 25 Feb 2009
Posts: 6024
Location: Somerset.

Posted: Wed Aug 08, 12 8:40 am Post subject: Green manure Question.
There seem to be lots of different varieties,but which one to use.We have used Rye grass before,but found it hard to dig in. We want to use it in our raised beds over the winter. Ther is also one that has a natural pesticide in,has anyone used it?

Tania

Joined: 07 Nov 2012
Posts: 95
Location: Dorset

Posted: Fri Nov 09, 12 12:08 pm Post subject:

I am using green manure for the first time this year - field beans - as it says it is good for heavy soil and mine is clay - all seem to be coming up ok.

I think on the back of the packets they tell you which type is best for what soil you have.
You could look on this site - if you click on the left hand side on each of the different types will tell you what to use them for and the soil type it is good for.

https://greenmanure.co.uk/

Lets us know what you end up using and if it works!

yummersetter

Joined: 26 Jan 2008
Posts: 3241
Location: Somerset

Posted: Fri Nov 09, 12 12:13 pm Post subject:
Rye is a blooming nuisance, last autumn's sowing has regrown this year and now I can't tell where the beds are amongst the grass paths. The ground's too wet and claggy to dig it in, too. I'll probably smother it to death with cardboard this winter.

NorthernMonkeyGirl

Joined: 10 Apr 2011
Posts: 4630
Location: Peeping over your shoulder

Posted: Fri Nov 09, 12 12:29 pm Post subject:
Yeah I now have to worry about how to kill the rye in my fruit-bush area I've got phacelia on another patch, has grown well, it's "crispy" so should dig in easily, but I don't think it's a nitrogen fixer.

Went

Joined: 19 Mar 2006
Posts: 6968

Posted: Fri Nov 09, 12 12:50 pm Post subject:
We use oats - green manure of choice around here and it digs in easily, doesn't re-grow and breaks down quickly - and it's cheap.

roobarb

Joined: 15 Apr 2008
Posts: 139
Location: Carmarthenshire

Posted: Fri Nov 09, 12 1:51 pm Post subject:

I've just sown some Caliente Mustard 119 (https://www.greenmanure.co.uk/caliente_mustard.htm) in the polytunnel, as I read this can be a natural way of fumigating the soil (I have been wondering how to keep the soil "clean" in the PT, so thought this may be an easy answer as well as adding nutrients to the soil.) When you chop up the mustard and cover it, the gases act as fumigant. When researching it I also read that RHS Wisley has been using it on some of the trial beds.

I may be a bit late in sowing it, but I figured that in the polytunnel it is still relatively warm, so should germinate.

Tania

Joined: 07 Nov 2012
Posts: 95
Location: Dorset

Posted: Fri Nov 09, 12 2:07 pm Post subject:

roobarb wrote:

Let me know how it goes and if it works - have a green house which I will be using next year - so this might be good!

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46212
Location: yes

Posted: Fri Nov 09, 12 4:02 pm Post subject:
mustards are good for weed suppression barley is good for humus beans are good for nitrogen capture etc pends what is needed in summer coriander is fast and very covering

Tavascarow

Joined: 06 Aug 2006
Posts: 8407
Location: South Cornwall

Posted: Fri Nov 09, 12 4:37 pm Post subject:
I've struggled to get good germination from mustard & clover. Had the same problem as others with Italian rye although pigs like to turn it in. Lately I haven't bothered & just used a bastard fallow to get more organics into the soil.

Mithril

Joined: 22 Jul 2011
Posts: 1755
Location: wessex

Posted: Fri Nov 09, 12 6:28 pm Post subject:
I used mustard and it worked really well, in terms of keeping weeds down.

robkb

Joined: 29 May 2009
Posts: 4205
Location: SE London

Posted: Tue Nov 13, 12 9:25 am Post subject:
I use rye grass. Yes it's a devil to chop down and dig in, but it does wonders for my clay soil.

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