now the flood waters have receeded im going to green manure the lot .
any one have any preferences?
also any advise on good cheap suppliers as im going to need a lot of seed !
I went for Phacelia on the advice of a fellow forum user (search on Phacelia should show up the thread).
I opted for Phacelia tanacetifolia.
Had a little trouble sourcing them at first. Went to my local big DIY store where lots of seeds are sold. Asked the assistant about green manure and got a very blank look!
Finally found some on ebay. IIRC i paid £1.49 per pack, and postage was less than a pound (nearer 50p).
Assuming trade links are acceptable in this forum, here is the seller's shop: http://stores.ebay.co.uk/Alchemillas-Garden (http://stores.ebay.co.uk/Alchemillas-Garden)
Worth a try. I have planted a small section with them as I wanted to see what they looked like as seedlings so I didnt weed them!! Now they have started to grow I will sew them across a few of my beds in prep for next year.
oh and btw, the pack says it is enough for 5 square meters, so I bought 4 packs.
James
we've done our main potato bed with phacelia..its just coming up to flower now, will let the bees have a go before hoeing it in, cover with cardboard and cover with weed control for winter, it's for squash next year ;D
I find Buckwheat good as it grows that fast the weeds don't stand a chance, the incests love the flowers and after just chop it down n dig it in..job done. :)
Get mine from The Organic Gardening catalogue.
I used Ryegrass and Winter Tares last year as they will over winter. I also sow Phacelia ever year as it will fit in with any rotation you have.
I always leave a few Phacelia to flower as it attracts hundreds of bees and then I let it go to seed and collect them for following year. I have only ever had to buy one lot of seed and have given loads away.
Rosemary
I can never get Buckwheat to grow... what on earth am doing wrong!
:-[
Could be mice. I am sure they wait for me to scatter my seeds and just stock up for winter.
Rosemary
I've got Lucerne (Alfalfa), Buckwheat, Fenugreek, Agricultural Lupins (Lupinus Angustifolius) and Phacelia. All are currently growing, except for the lupins (too late to try I think this year). The Phacelia has quite an impressive growth rate and can be sown for another couple of months. So far as I am aware, none of them interfere with rotation plans. I got my seeds from the Organic Gardening - will use them again.
I've just ordered phacelia, winter tares and rye from Kings Seeds. I've used phacelia overwinter before and when I came to chop it down, it was as though it was a 5* hotel for snails! Easy to pick them off for a method of dispatch of your choice.
Kings Seeds are the suppliers of the bulk orders for my allotment association, but I like to order a few things direct from them so that I get their catalogue.
Marshalls have mustard seed at 2.40 per pack supposed coverage of 100SQ foot any good?