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Archive for the 'Green Manures' Category

What is a green manure?

Friday, September 27th, 2013

A green manure is a plant which is planted to provide nutrition to the soil, to act as a weed suppressant and to prevent bare soil.

By growing extra crops on soil rather than leaving them bare, you protect the soil from the excesses of wind, rain and sun.
You can get many different types of green manure. Mustard, clover, phacelia, and many others are available.
Some can add nitrogen – leguminous types of green manure plants eg: Field beans, winter tares.
Caliente mustard is thought to fumigate the soil.

All plants that put out roots into the soil help aerate the soil. The action of roots can break up tough soils and make the soil easier to work.

For overwintering you should plant in September or October. If the weather is too grim then seeds don’t get started very well.
A thick carpet of green manure will keep weeds down – they can’t compete very well against a flush of green manure. The layer of plants can either be dug in or chopped down and left on the surface as a mulch. You can leave them to fall at the first frost too. If some make it through the winter they may flower and set seed if you don’t cut them back. If you have a corner of the garden you don’t have a use for then just let them. The flowers are often good for the bees – mustard flowers are yellow, phacelia is grown for it’s bee-friendly flowers too.

Green manures DT Browns

Friday, September 27th, 2013

Green Manure Mustard (White) Seeds
 £1.79
Perfect for soils lacking organic matter, it grows on most soil types and produces large amounts of green matter and fibre and will help structure and moisture retention. Helps hold valuable nutrients and is ready for digging-in in only 4 to 8 weeks from sowing.

Green Manure Crimson Clover Seeds
 £1.79
A fast growing weed suppressant and great for beneficial insects, crimson clover is an excellent nitrogen ‘fixer’. Ideally dig in just before it flowers. Works very well in exposed areas.

Green Manure Lucerne (Alfalfa) Seeds
 £1.79
A deep rooting nitrogen fixer which will reach down and improve the sub-soil. If desired it can be left for a year or more before being dug in.

Green Manure Winter Rye Seeds
 £1.79
One of the very best over-wintering green manures. Soil structure is greatly improved through the abundance of fibrous roots produced and nutrient retention is improved in wet weather.

Green Manure Phacelia tanacetifolia Seeds
 £2.19
Winter hardy so can be over wintered. Ideal for adding humus content to impoverished soils.

Green Manure Seeds Collection
 £6.95
The great value collection includes:- Crimson Clover A fast growing weed suppressant and great for beneficial insects, crimson clover is an excellent nitrogen ‘fixer’. Ideally dig in just before it flowers. Works very well in exposed areas. Lucerne (Alfalfa), A deep rooting nitrogen fixer which will reach down and improve the sub-soil. If desired it can be left for a year or more before being dug in. Mustard (White) Perfect for soils lacking organic matter, it grows on most soil types and produces large amounts of green matter and fibre and will help structure and moisture retention. Helps hold valuable nutrients and is ready for digging-in in only 4 to 8 weeks from sowing. Phacelia tanacetifolia Winter hardy so can be over wintered. Ideal for adding humus content to impoverished soils. Winter Rye One of the very best over-wintering green manures. Soil structure is greatly improved through the abundance of fibrous roots produced and nutrient retention is improved in wet weather.

Autumn Sow Seed Collection
 £9.95
A collection of seeds for autumn sowing to give early crops next year just when the stores are depleted! The collection contains: Spring Onion, White Lisbon Winter Hardy Cauliflower, Mayflower F1 Cabbage, Spring Hero F1 Calabrese, Aquiles F1 Pea, Excellenz Broad Bean, Super Aquadulce Lettuce, Winter Density Green Manure, Phacelia tanacetifolia SAVE £4.27!