Topic: Green Manure

[Sparky]

Just trying to order my seeds and wondered if anyone had advice on green manures as i never realised there were so many different types to choose from.  

My plot is new and I am only looking at working the top half of it this year, as the bottom half is very compacted, can get very wet and is weedy and uneven.  Can anyone suggest any of the green manures that i can basically just throw in to it as it is now to cover it which i can then dig in later/next year to increase the amount of organic matter in the soil?   ???

Sparky

[The gardener]

Personally I wouldn't use a green manure until it it has been dug over once and the roughest of the perennial weeds have been removed.

As I see it you would only be feeding these weeds.

I think black plastic, old carpets etc would be a better alternative.

[tim]

Where do people find all these old carpets??

I've never seen one around here! = Tim

[busy_lizzie]

 Good luck with your Plot Sparky! Agree with Gardener, think it would be more useful to cover the area to try to impede the weeds, so you will have a better start next year. Don't think green manure would do that and the more pernicious weeds could just suffocate it. Lots of old carpets in Skips round our way Tim.

We planted some green manure in September, a field bean.  It grew fine, but over the winter some little creature has been digging it out and nibbling on it, leaving a little round hole in the soil.  we have been puzzled as to what sort of creatures it was - a bird, a little mouse?  ???  Went over last week in the snow to see if we could see any little footprints, but nothing discernable.   :) busy_lizzie

[gavin]

All good advice so far (in effect using the weeds themselves as a green manure).

Just a half-baked idea, for when you've got the weeds out of the way.  And I haven't tried this!

But - Hungarian Rye?  Clear the weeds with plastic or carpet - and the rye apparently grows so many roots so fast, so deep, apparently even in iron-hard clays, that it has earned the title "nature's spade".  Good for the compacted soil?

Why haven't I tried it?  It is also supposed to be extremely hard work to dig in - one of those green manures designed for tractors!!!

Has anybody tried Hungarian Rye?  I'd love to know!

All best - Gavin