Interplanting brassicas.

[Mubgrub]

Hi everyone, hope you're all enjoying the rain at last!

I need some advice re interplanting brussels sprouts.  I've got about six plants just starting to stand up and grow but all the bare space inbetween seems a bit of a waste.  I've heard some people grow lettuce or other catch crops inbetween before the sprouts get too big but I was wondering if it would be harmful to sow a winter green manure between them and leave it untill the spring?  Has anyone tried it? ???

[Mubgrub]

[flowerlady]

Mubgrub, at the moment I have brassicas in between my potatoes!  That's if they ever get out of the ground far enough!!  ( I am a late starter!)

Apparently, (according to Flowerdew) brassicas are good grown with:

beetroot & chards
celery, dill & nasturtiums
onions & garlic
peas & spuds

I suppose it depends if you are pushed for space, but it would seem the above indicated beneficial properties, though don't know what!

[Mrs Ava]

I planted my sprouts in between my strawberry plants!

I have no idea whether the green manure thing would work, don't see why not, however, they will be competing for the goodness and water in the soil.....wouldn't they?  I use lettuce and radish as interplanted crops, and they work a treat!

[redimp]

Red Clover overwinters and while it is growing will be fixing nitrogen in the soil which the brussels should love so this might be a good idea.

[Merry Tiller]

Genius, why didn't I think of that?

[flowerlady]

What happens in spring, do you dig it in, or pull it out and put it on the compost heap? :-\

[redimp]

Dig it in.

[Mubgrub]

I think my soil is a bit heavy for clovers... would field beans be ok?