[jaycee]

I don`t get enough manure(horse) to use where needed.
How far does growing of green manure, in my case clover on acidic sandy soil, make up for the lack of the real stuff?
I have just sown the ex broad bean  bed with the clover ready for umbrelifers next season as I know they don`t need the actual manure but am wondering which other beds I can use the clover without the need for the horsey stuff and still get good crops!
Organic so don`t use growmore etc.

[yummy]

I'm only new at this allotment stuff so I'm not sure.

The articles that I have read seem to say that green manure should be used in addition to the horsey muck. (I ordered some fenugreek yesterday) I haven't got any horsey muck either.

[WG.]

There have been several threads on this subject so you may wish to try a search.

I posted http://www.chat.allotment-garden.org/viewtopic.php?p=67564#67564 earlier so you may find that useful.  Clover, beans or tares would be your choices if you wanted a green manure which was also leguminous.  Fenugreek (of which I grow a lot) is a legume but I've never had it develop the needed root nodules - perhaps it needs innoculation?

If you really cannot find plentiful manure, then I think you will need to import nitrogen to keep things moving.  Organically, you might want to consider :

blood fish and bone meal
dried blood
chicken manure pellets
gathering nettles for compost or tea

[sweet nasturtium]

What's an umbrelifer?

[muntjac]

fer keeping rain off ya head innit  :roll:

[muntjac]

ok sorry lol its the carrots and parsnips types .. im going to the step anty

[jaycee]

Thanks one and all. Still confused but read your post whiskey_golf and that gives me food for thought! Have you ever tried SEER Rock Dust?

[WG.]

What's an umbrelifer?

Please see the Glossary of Terms.

[tomato-joy]

I'm sowing some vicia and some phacelia on my plot and am going to dig in in november. Should I spread some chicken manure over it a few weeks before planting next year as well, do you think? (Come on Whisky_Golf and Munty - tell me what to do with my poo! x)

[WG.]

I'm sowing some vicia and some phacelia on my plot and am going to dig in in november. Should I spread some chicken manure over it a few weeks before planting next year as well, do you think? (Come on Whisky_Golf and Munty - tell me what to do with my poo! x)

Vicia is a vetch and so is leguminous to help fertility, see http://www.chat.allotment-garden.org/viewtopic.php?p=67564#67564

Both green manures will improve soil structure

November seems very late - won't the soil be too cold to break down the green manure?

Chicken manure (I assume pellets) will be helpful for most crops.

Without knowing your soil and your rotation, it is hard to be more specific.

[Bigbadfrankie]

unlike Shaun i find mustard good it grows fast and i see a benefit in the soil. the baddest patch i have i have grassed out for a season. then i will plough and rotavate.