This topic contains 3 replies, has 4 voices, and was last updated by charles 11 years, 9 months ago.
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Hi Matthew
Firstly, green manures are suitable only for large gardens where there is spare ground for fertility building, preferably over a year or more. In smaller gardens or where every square foot is needed for cropping (as here), it is more practical to buy in some compost and/or manure.
Second, if you have grown them I would mulch with black plastic or cardboard, for two to three months, depending what is sown. Even if dug in, they take many weeks to rot down and can pull nutrients out of soil while decomposing. Also they can raise slug numbers, and host seeding weeds. I am not convinced of their role in gardens, as opposed to farms where the idea came from – and on sandy soil to boot, where decomposition is more rapid.
Lastly, mustard sown late August and September, on any bare soil, grows fast and is killed by frost, leaving a strawy mulch on top, so that is an easier option.
I have developed a green manure regime in the allotment situation and find it can very quickly become self sustaining. 2o% of my veg area is used for rye and alfalfa on a rotation basis and a semi permanent bed of comfrey occupies about 10%.All my green manure is composted and I am aiming to turn over 2 batches annually. The resultant compost is spread on the surface, usually on my brassica patch. Rye provides bulk, minimises winter leaching and scavenges unused nutrients. I rate alfalfa very highly because in addition to the nutritional qualities in the compost bin; it scavenges to a considerable depth and the deep roots help to open up the soil, much of the root system remains in the ground and seems to benefit subsequent crops. I do not begrudge the lost space, which is not that great when you consider that allotments always have a significant amount of bare ground throughout the year, I aim to minimise this. The biggest drawback is the amount of effort involved, so its not really suitable for everyone but my methods minimise this. Other green manure crops are used to fill in where nec, such as phacelia, buckwheat, clover.
I hope this helps
PeteI would argue that everything grown on the veg garden is a potential green manure and as much none weed vegetation should be grown as possible throughout the year. Rather eccentrically I let things like coriander and rocket seed themselves in the rows. You might be horrified to see my broad bean tops shredded (with my hedge trimmer) on the surface at the present time. If it really does encourage the slugs I am perfectly happy for them to eat their favourite food, decaying vegetation.
http://www.nodiggardener.co.uk/2012/07/why-gardeners-dig-part-1.html
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