Revision as of 13:55, 22 February 2006

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Introduction

Most green manures are sown in spring to be dug in during the autumn, or planted in the autumn to over winter. Also you need to keep in mind that after it has been dug in, the ground needs to be left for usually a minimum of a couple of weeks before planting. Of course, it depends how much later in the year you're thinking of growing your veg

This website is quite useful in sowing times: http://www.btinternet.com/~bury_rd/green.htm and scroll down to the table. It's helpful, but not extensive, there are many more green manures, have a google for it. They also do different things, and that site doesn't say which ones fix nitrogen.

Crops Used and Details

Alfalfa

Alfalfa is quite a quick growing green manure and very deep rooted. This means it has the ability to draw up nutrients from a long way down in the sub-soil to add to your allotment.

Buckwheat

Buckwheat can be grown towards the end of the summer

Mustard

Mustard is terrifcally fast, 2-8 weeks

Poached Egg Plant

Can be sown in September to 'over winter' and be harvested in April. Normally will flower in May so small amounts can always be left to flower and seeds gathered to be resown later the same year.

Limmanthus is a particularly useful low growing companion plant for fruit bushes. Open faced yellow and white flowers provide easily accessible nectar for hover flies, whose larvi are greenfly preditors.