Green Manure

[chadspad]

I have just searched on Ebay for green manure seeds. There is one supplier that has an assortment - I wont list them all but theres Grazing Rye and field bean (Vicia Faba) among them. Most of them are to be sown in spring/ late summer and only a couple (those mentioned) can go upto Nov as the latest time to be sown. Can anyone recommend either of these please? My soil is extremely sticky clay and riddled with horrid bindweed! Have I left it too late to sow these do u think? Is there something better or more suitable? Isnt clover good?

[jiggers]

The grazing rye I am trying is coming up, and if it says november its worth trying, right till the bitter end. Supposed to be best for soil structure, so should break the heavy clay, somewhat.

Read elsewhere someone used crimson clover which grows big, then covered it in plastic over winter and in the spring lifted it and the clover had become a fine tilth, and the heavy clay was now workable. any more than that I dont remember. And what I have remembered is probably wrong. I expect the fine tilth was seeded with clover, covered and became clay in the spring.

[adekun]

Perhaps in the really bad areas, some Comfrey (sorry), in the spring.
Alfalfa has deep roots which might help.

[HILLDREAMER90]

Nooo dont use comfrey as a green manure!!! if you chop it up you'll get 1000s new 1s growing,it will grow from a tiny bit of root,like dandilion or dock & the roots can go down a metre or more!!! Not had much experience with g-manures,tried red clover,worked well,think i sowed it in the spring though.A.

[Stonehead]

Nooo dont use comfrey as a green manure!!! if you chop it up you'll get 1000s new 1s growing,it will grow from a tiny bit of root,like dandilion or dock & the roots can go down a metre or more!!! Not had much experience with g-manures,tried red clover,worked well,think i sowed it in the spring though.A.

Red clover, phacelia and grazing rye have all worked well for us. But we're in NE Scotland so for us the latest we can plant rye is early October, while the red clover and phacelia have growing seasons about a month shorter than what is usually given.

Red clover and phacelia are also absolutely brilliant if you have bees, with the latter drawing them in droves.

[adekun]

Sorry, I should have been clearer about that.
I should have said if there are areas beyond hope, could grow comfrey - and use the leaves as green manure. Not on the patch you want to improve.

[HILLDREAMER90]

Cool,thought mabe you meant that,just wanted to warn people.A.