Can anyone recommend an easy to grow green manure, but not one that is going to completely take over.
Mustard or phacelia (bees love the flowers if you leave them that long)
If you let the phacalia flower it may make a take over bid, I have Nigella, not a formal green manure but no matter how many times I dig it in there always seems to be some more next year!
;D
Mustard is good but be aware that it is a brassica so needs rotating with them. I use and am going to use Red Clover (the rarer bumbles like this) and buckwheat - neither of which require rotating.
I think there is info on this in the wiki - link at the top of this page. Also if you go to the Organic gardening Catalogue website: http://www.organiccatalog.com/catalog/ (http://www.organiccatalog.com/catalog/) there is information about different sorts of green manure.
I have crimson clover, phacelia and fenugreek.
I know mice like fenugreek :o
personally lovel the blue of phacelia, so do the bees ;)
The Organic catalogue do a Tubingen Mix ...................
"An annual mixture, originally developed for use on set-aside land to improve bee forage in the summer and autumn. An excellent attractant for bees and other pollinating insects. Contains: Phacelia, Buckwheat Mustard, Coriander, Calendula, Black Cumin, Oil Radish,Cornflower,Wild Mallow, Dill and Borage.
50g covers 18 sq metres"
You could then see which bits flourish on your soil ;D
I'm going to try red clover too this year from OGC :)
I go with Phacalia (great for attracting lacewings as well as Bumblebees) and Comfrey - I know Comfrey will spread, but have found an old rusted oil drum (well, aboiut 75% of an old drum) which I have painstakenly dug & sunk into the plot. The comfrey is plated inside the drum, which (hopefully) will keep the roots/spreading under control.
I intend to try red clover and buckwheat next year (as well as the phacalia & comfrey)
Fenugeek (or so I've been told) can attract small rodents onto the plot :o