[texas_gardenia]

Hi all, sorry to post another topic so soon. I confess I am clueless in a lot of things and I have so many questions. I tried to figure this out on my own but am getting conflicting information.

1) I have some broad bean seeds that I have heard are OK to sow through December. the packet says "Giant Exhibition Longpod". However, I have never grown beans before. I know I am supposed to dig them in BEFORE they flower.. but I am not sure I will recognize when that stage of growth is.

2) What is another seed I could get to use as green manure right now? And same question applies for any answer-- how will I know what it looks like before it flowers, so I don't wait til too late to dig it in?

Thank you so much for any help!

[cooperman]

hiya texas

well you are confused!  :blink:

You are getting mixed up with the FIELD BEAN that is sown as a green manure - however this is really a commercial green manure used by farmers and not really suitable for allotment use, its too BIG and you'd need to plough these in!

The one suited for allotment use is a form of mustard (like mustard & cress) this only grows low and is easy to dig in, but it too late now to sow.

Another one suited for allotment use is the grass ALFALFA but Ive heard mixed reprts about this one.....

hope thats useful

PS The bean you mention is a crop bean for planting now for harvest in late spring... its NOT a green manure...

[Kristen]

"The bean you mention is a crop bean for planting now for harvest in late spring"

Personally I would only sow Aquadulce(sp?) as an Autumn Broad Bean.  All the other varieties which say they can be sown in the Autumn have never worked for me (heavy soil here though ...)

[whitehartlottie]

i think you can put in grazing rye (or at least I plan to put some in) - they say its hard to dig in but don't mind a bit of hard work so thought I would give it a go.

[texas_gardenia]

Hm, grazing rye eh? Anyone else second that? Basically my plot is huge (for me!) and it's a bad time of year for anything to grow. But I don't want to just leave the dirt as-is when I could possibly plant something to help the soil. There definitely is conflicting information out there.. since the seed packet of the beans I have states it can be used as a green manure. I never know what to think sometimes.

[Stoatus]

Try http://www.thevegetablepatch.com/organicfertilisers.htm

You normally sow green manure into a bed which has had its nutrients sapped by a hungry earlier crop, like sweet corn, pumpkins, cucumbers and melons. Till the soil before hand and toss around a mix of green manure seeds. This is done early in winter in cold climates and early in summer for very hot and humid climates. Then with a rake cover them a bit, water and walk away. Around 2-3 months later you should have a lush knee high mat covering the bed. Then all you have to do is dig it into the soil where it breaks down over 1-2 months. Once you've done this the bed is ready for the next crop and the soil is even better than when you started.

For cold climate winter green manure go for:
Lupins
Tic beans
Oats
Subclover
Fenugreek
Barley
Woolly pod vetch

For humid and hot summer green manure go for:
Cowpea
Japanese millet
Grey sun flower
Buckwheat
Lablab

[texas_gardenia]

Thank you so much, that was so helpful!! What about forage rye for over winter? I will look at the link you left.

Try http://www.thevegetablepatch.com/organicfertilisers.htm

You normally sow green manure into a bed which has had its nutrients sapped by a hungry earlier crop, like sweet corn, pumpkins, cucumbers and melons. Till the soil before hand and toss around a mix of green manure seeds. This is done early in winter in cold climates and early in summer for very hot and humid climates. Then with a rake cover them a bit, water and walk away. Around 2-3 months later you should have a lush knee high mat covering the bed. Then all you have to do is dig it into the soil where it breaks down over 1-2 months. Once you've done this the bed is ready for the next crop and the soil is even better than when you started.

For cold climate winter green manure go for:
Lupins
Tic beans
Oats
Subclover
Fenugreek
Barley
Woolly pod vetch

For humid and hot summer green manure go for:
Cowpea
Japanese millet
Grey sun flower
Buckwheat
Lablab

[smc]

hi i tried hungarian grazing rye its gone mad looks good tho! will start forking in early march late feb is this right any one??  and also used mustard wich has really taken of

[Yorkie]

I've never used green manure but my understanding is that you need to fork / dig it in before it seeds, and leaving about 4 weeks before further planting to allow it to die down.

If Feb/March fits with that, I'd have thought you'd be OK.  However, bear in mind that it is often really wet on the soil at that time of year so you may not be able to get onto the plot without damaging the soil structure (if it sticks to your boots keep off)

[Zippy]

Personally I avoid rye as I inherited my plot when it had been seeded deliberately by the previous plot holder with amenity sports grass! I never want to see turf again, though it did make lovely loam.

I am in Cornwall so the climate is milder, but I have buckwheat and winter tares in two plots. Depending on what you are growing in those green manure beds and when you can either hoe them through and wait two weeks before sowing/planting or cover the whole crop with compost bin contents, for example if you were growing potatoes next, and just let the green manure rot down naturally. No need to dig in when there are enough earthworms to do that for you.

If you have narrow walkways between four foot wide beds, flat or raised, you need never walk on your growing soil.