[ferret1988]

Was just wondering if this could be done?

[Annen]

I think I do, but I still add some bulk to the soil now and then in the form of soil improver, so not a total replacement.  Its a lot lighter to carry to the plot!

[mumofstig]

As already said it adds all the nutrients neede, but has no soil conditioning benefits.

If you've already got good soil it would be ok, but if you're gardening on heavy clay, it won't help improve the soil much.

[Salmo]

Digging in short term green manure crops such as mustard or field beans will help the organic matter in the soil but you still need more organic matter and fertilisers to grow your crops.

Perhaps if you included a full year of green manure crop such as red clover as a regular part of your rotation you could reduce the other inputs.

[Kirpi]

Salmo - are you suggesting putting one bed under something like red clover all year and not growing any veg on it and then turning the gm in at some point?

[Salmo]

Salmo - are you suggesting putting one bed under something like red clover all year and not growing any veg on it and then turning the gm in at some point?

Exactly. Red clover will produce a huge fiberous root system and also fix nitrogen for the following crop. Sow after spring crops come off, leave over Winter and Spring, dig in either in time to plant brassicas or wait until later if the next crop will not be until the following Spring. Best to mow and compost to allow easier digging in.

[Aunt Sally]

I thought that comfrey has a similar nutrient content to manure.

http://www.allotment-garden.org/comfrey/using-comfrey.php

[Kirpi]

Salmo - are you suggesting putting one bed under something like red clover all year and not growing any veg on it and then turning the gm in at some point?

Exactly. Red clover will produce a huge fiberous root system and also fix nitrogen for the following crop. Sow after spring crops come off, leave over Winter and Spring, dig in either in time to plant brassicas or wait until later if the next crop will not be until the following Spring. Best to mow and compost to allow easier digging in.

 - or if it was red clover (annual) you could possibly drop a thick layer of homemade compost on top of the clover and let it rot down underneath the compost layer.

I'm just not sure where in my own rotation it could go. After first earlies maybe, so not the whole bed but just areas where spring crops have finished. So my potato bed would be earlies, followed by red clover and leave the maincrop spuds in the bed for later harvesting.

[mumofstig]

I thought that comfrey has a similar nutrient content to manure.

http://www.allotment-garden.org/comfrey/using-comfrey.php

It does have, but without the soil conditioning element of manures 

[Kirpi]

It does have soil conditioning qualities but you have to use a fair amount. I have a total of twenty square feet (several patches) for an allotment total growing area of 480 square feet and take around three or four cuts of it per year.

[rachelsco]

ferret, i used grow organic for all this years crops, as i couldnt get hold of any w r manure.  all i did was use a handful to cover a square metre dug in just before planting, and a few weeks later use a handful of blood fish bone just sprinkled around.  everything grew well, (but it was manured for last years growing season) i would defo use again