Green Manure

[chriszog]

Hi
  Can anyone tell me what type of green manure would be suitable for planting in the next couple of weeks
Regards
Chriszog

[chriszog]

[sweet-pea]

I'm going to be sowing Winter Tares in the next few weeks. 
there's a good list on the HDRA site of what to sow when:
http://www.hdra.org.uk/todo_now/veg_gard_now.htm#green_manures

[daisymay]

we have just put some fodder radish on a 1/3 of our plot. Got it from the organic seed catalogue.

[redimp]

I have just sown, and will continue to sow into September, red clover for over wintering.  I have also sown it round my purple sprouting.

[Roy Bham UK]

I have just sown, and will continue to sow into September, red clover for over wintering.  I have also sown it round my purple sprouting.

RC ? For what reason have you sown it round your broccoli ??? I'm intrigued and a newbie ;D

[redimp]

It's a nitrogen fixer and all brassicas love nitrogen - it makes big healthy leaves.

[jennym]

I'm going to be sowing Winter Tares in the next few weeks. 
there's a good list on the HDRA site of what to sow when:
http://www.hdra.org.uk/todo_now/veg_gard_now.htm#green_manures

I tried this once - never again, they are far too hard too dig in by hand. maybe you have a tractor with cultivator attachment?
I've used Limathes (poached egg plant)in the past, also field beans (broad beans) with very good results and they are dead easy to dig in.

[Roy Bham UK]

It's a nitrogen fixer and all brassicas love nitrogen - it makes big healthy leaves.

So presumably not like a weed  then, that chokes up the plants? :)

[Annadl]

I have heard comfrey is good for composting.  Would this also help with fertilising?

Anna

[daisymay]

Comfrey is used to make liquid fertiliser, not tried it myself yet (have got some growing on the lottie). But I believe you weight some down in a bucket of water and leave it for a while, then drain of the liquid and use it as you would a liquid fertiliser concenrate (i.e. mix with water)

some one else will be able to give a much more accurate method i am sure...

[redimp]

Comfrey leaves can be used as a mulch, to line potato and other trenches and as a compost accellerant.  It's extract can be watered down to use as a watering feed or even more diluted as a foliar feed.  It can be extracted as above by fermentation (stinks) or leaves can be weighted down without the water and extract can be then obtained by straining.  There are various methods described on these boards but Phil's drainpipe and bottle method look about the best and most practical:
http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/yabbse/index.php/topic,9074.msg83196.html#msg83196

So presumably not like a weed  then, that chokes up the plants? Smiley

I do not thinks so - will let you know.  It's a bit of an experiment and I have not sown it around all my Purple Sprouting.

[chriszog]

Thanks everyone for your replies. The choice is wider than I thought.
Regards
Chriszog

[Robert_Brenchley]

I just fill a barrel with comfrey, leave it a while with the lid on, and then take the black smelly liquid that results. It needs to be well watered down before use.

[chriszog]

Where can I get comfrey from???
Thanks in anticipation.
Regards
Chriszog

[Trenchboy]

You can buy roots/plants from the organic gardening catalogue, online.

They aren't cheap but I bought 10 a couple of months ago and have already "harvested them" to use in heaps and to make the comfrey tea others mention. You have no idea how bad they and nettles smell when fermenting...

Often you'll find wild comfrey somewhere on your site. It grows like wildfire if you dig up and replant bits of the root. The stuff I bought is called Bocking 14.

Google comfrey and you'll come up with really good info.

[chriszog]

Thanks for the info . What is the best time of year to plant it

[Trenchboy]

Comfrey adores water, so whenever you plant it you need to keep it watered well until established, which is about 2 weeks or so.

I suppose autumn and spring are grade A times, but my plants went in in July, during that heatwave we had, and are literally blooming - and attracting bees by the score.

As it happens, comfrey being a marsh plant, even if your site goes underwater in the winter, the comfrey will still thrive, as the wild ones on the overgrown plot next to mine did last year.

[chriszog]

Thanks for the help and advice
Regards
Chriszog

[terrace max]

Phil's drainpipe and bottle method look about the best and most practical:

Where is Phil these days?? I'm indebted to him for no-dig potato advice!

[jennym]

Where can I get comfrey from???
Thanks in anticipation.
Regards
Chriszog

Send me a pm and I'll send you some in the autumn if you want. Runs riot on my plot.