Weed suppression & Green Manures

[Glenn]

Hi folks,

I recently bought 1Kg Green Manure soil fertility builder; A 2 year ley mixture of Napoleon Perennial Ryegrass, Tivoli Perennial Ryegrass and Red Clover for sowing on areas that will be out of use for a season or more. Excellent for allotments, can be cut several times a year to provide mulching material. Builds fertility and suppresses weeds.

The question is my second plot has Twitch problem, not major most of the root system is on the surface after the plot was cleared, and I’m not planning to use the plot for a least 1 year. Having not used green manures before does anyone know if the green manure mix will suppress the twitch sufficiently or should I remove it prior to sowing the green manure?

Metta

G

[Glenn]

[sandersj89]

I would remove as mush of the twitch as possible as the rhizomes will have a head start over the green manure.

As the ground has been worked you should be able to rake/fork most of it out.

HTH

Jerry

[Sprout]

I don't eactly know what twitch is but wholeheartedly agree with Jerry's comment. I sowed some red clover and phacelia as green manures last year in new beds in which I had not properly or completely dug out the invading couch grass. Having a head start, as Jerry puts it, the couch grass out grew the manures making them worthless as I couldn't diferentiate between the couch and the clover. In the end, I had to dig eveything out and scrap it although I did mow the phacelia once or twice and put that in my compost bin.

[bupster]

I sowed rye grass on my rotavated plot last autumn and it seemed to outgrow the couch - areas where I sowed it much clearer. I've dug the whole lot under, put it under black plastic for six weeks, and am now planning to go through it and fork out the rhizomes bed by bed.