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GREEN
MANURES |
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Green
manures are particular plants which are grown to improve the structure
and/or the fertility of the soil. They break up heavy soils and
improve drainage. They can help light soils hold more water. Different
green manures have roots of differing depths. These can mine for
different minerals in the soil, bring them to the surface and keep
them there. Green manures of the Legume family increase Nitrogen
in the soil which will benefit the following crop. Some, such as
Alfalfa, root down very deep and bring up minerals to the top layer
of the soil. The green tops, when dug in, add humus and nutrients.
Turn the plants into the soil at the appropriate time for each variety.
Some Green Manures can be clipped during their season and these
clippings can be left on the soil to be dug in eventually to improve
the tilth still further.
Overwintered Green Manures, such as Alfalfa, Tares and Ryegrass,
will keep the ground covered and so protect the soil and help prevent
the leaching of nutrients.
If used in a rotation system, check the family of plants being used.
Red Clover,for example, being a Legume would fit into a rotation
in place of beans, and would be followed by a leafy vegetable such
as spinach or lettuce.
MAIN
GROWING SEASON
Sow a quick-growing Green manure (such as Mustard, Buckwheat or
Fenugreek), fitted in before sowing a second vegetable crop on that
patch of ground.
AUGUST
Sow a Green manure that will keep the ground covered and protected
over the winter (such as Red Clover, Field Beans, Alfalfa, Tares,
Annual Ryegrass or Phacelia) |
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Organic
Seed |
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ALFALFA |
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Dig
in when plants are fresh and green. Does well in dry conditions. Dislikes
acid or waterlogged soils. Can overwinter from a late sowing. A very
deep rooter. Foliage contains an excellent range of plant foods. Fixes
nitrogen.
Alfalfa can be grown for a few months or for a year or two. If grown
long term, cut down 2 or 3 times a year to encourage new growth. |
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| Related
to Legumes |
Winter
hardy |
45
sq.m £2.70 |
| Sow
April to July |
2
to 3g per sq.metre |
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CLOVER
Red |
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A
deep-rooting bushy clover with red flowers which bees love. Not a
creeping clover. Prefers a good loam, not too acidic with a pH above
5.5. Can be sown for a few months, or for a year or two. If grown
long term, cut down when flowering to encourage new growth. Fixes
Nitrogen. |
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| Related
to Legumes |
Winter
hardy |
30
sq.m
£2.00 |
| Sow
April to August |
1.5
to 3g per sq.metre |
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FENUGREEK |
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An
attractive quick-growing bushy plant with small white flowers and
a mass of foliage. Dig in any time up to flowering. Does best on well-drained
but slightly heavy soils. Will tolerate lighter ones if reasonably
moist. An annual which is quick to start. Grow for up to 2 to 3 months.
Unlikely to fix Nitrogen in the UK. |
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| Related
to Legumes |
Sow
thinly in 15cm rows |
20
sq.m
£2.60 |
| Sow
March to August |
5g
per sq.metre |
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MUSTARD |
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One
of the fastest growing green manures. Yellow flowers. Needs a reasonably
moist and fertile soil, especially in the top 5cm. Chop in with a
spade any time up to flowering. This can be from 2 to 8 weeks. Once
flowers begin to form it goes tough very quickly. Susceptible to clubroot. |
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| Related
to Cabbage |
Sow
thinly in 15cm rows |
20
sq.m
£1.50 |
| Sow
March to mid Sept |
3
to 5 g per sq.metre |
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PHACELIA |
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A
lovely bushy plant with masses of ferny foliage and bright blue flowers
loved by bees. An annual which is quick to start. Grow for up to 2
months in summer, 5 to 6 months over winter. September-sown plants
will overwinter to be dug in during the spring. Dig in before flowers
open and before stems get woody. Can be clipped to add foliage to
the soil. Keeps weeds down well. Seed is quite expensive but if some
plants are left to flower, seed can be easily saved for another season.
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| Winter
hardy |
Sow
thinly in 20cm rows |
25sq.m
£2.00 |
| Sow
mid March to Sept |
2
to 3g per sq.metre |
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RYEGRASS |
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An
annual ryegrass which develops an extensive root system. Suitable
for most soils. An effective green manure for improving soil structure.
Easier to incorporate into the soil than grazing rye. |
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| Winter
hardy |
Sow
thinly in 20cm rows |
12.5
sq. m
£2.00 |
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anywhere in rotation |
Sow
August/September |
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TARES |
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A
rapid growing annual vetch. Good bushy plants. Prefers slightly heavy
soils. Will not thrive on dry or acid soils. Grow for 2 to 3 months
in summer. Can be overwintered from a late sowing. Dig in any time
up to flowering. Slow to start from an autumn sowing so avoid weedy
sites at this time, or keep weeds hoed out. Can be mixed with Ryegrass.
Fixes Nitrogen. |
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| Winter
hardy |
Related
to Legumes |
7
sq.m
£1.50 |
Sow
March to May and
July to September,
thinly in 15cm rows |
20g
per sq. metre. Sow 4 to 5 cm deep. Not for broadcasting. |
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BUCKWHEAT |
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Attractive
plant with red stems and unusual shaped leaves. Deep rooter. Small
pink flowers loved by beneficial insects. Annual. Turn in after 2
to 3 months, any time up to and including flowering. Will tolerate
poor soils. Frost sensitive, so sowing times will depend on frost
in area being grown. |
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| Fits
anywhere in rotation system |
Sow
thinly in 20cm rows |
17.5
sq. m. |
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| Sow
mid March to end August |
10g
per sq.metre |
£1.60 |
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GREEN
MANURES Sunflowers, Field Beans, and Lupins
Bitter Blue - we are not always able to obtain these as organic
seed. We offer them here as non-organic seed as they are often requested
for improving the soil. The seed has no chemical treatment on it and
is safe to handle. |
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SUNFLOWERS |
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Very
tall sunflowers for improving the soil. Their roots leave a good tilth
for the following crop. Best grown in a block on an allotment, for
example. Heads can be left or harvested for bird feed. After harvest,
the long dry stems can be burnt for their high potash content. |
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Annual
Sow in June |
Sow
30cm x 30cm in block |
25
sq.m
£2.25 |
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FIELD
BEANS |
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Prefers
moisture retentive soil. Can be cut once and left to re-grow Sow closely
to help control weeds. This can be further improved by sowing alternative
rows with Ryegrass. Dig in any time up to flowering. Fixes Nitrogen. |
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| Related
to Legumes |
Winter
hardy |
5
sq.m £1.75 |
| Sow
Sept to late November |
Sow
10cm apart in rows 20cm apart |
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LUPINS
BITTER BLUE |
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Smaller
than garden lupins at 50cm tall. A very deep rooter with blue flowers.
Prefers light, slightly acid soil. Annual. Grow on for 2 to 3 months.
Dig in before flowers open. Can be clipped once to add foliage to
the soil. Fixes Nitrogen. |
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| Related
to Legumes |
Sow
March to end of June |
8
sq.m £1.60 |
| Sow
4cm deep. Not for broadcasting. |
Sow
3cm apart in rows 15cm apart |
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