[Mike Broom]

A question:
I have a section of my allotment planted with grazing rye grass, as a green manure. I need to cut it down and let it rot down now, and after cutting a small section, close to the ground,  with a shovel, and then turning over a few inches depth to keep the cut grass from blowing away, i am wondering if i am doing this all right?

[crh75]

I believe that is the idea but I have never actually done it!

[I Love Spuds]

Sounds ok to me. I cut mine down to ground with shears one weekend and dug it it int the next. The grass didn't blow away, but it was in my garden and wasn't that windy. The cut grass was failry heavy as I sowed very thick and once cut it weighed quite a bit.

I then gave it a heavy mulch of well rotted manure. This was back in late feb / early march. I tilled it fine a few weeks ago and it had rotted down nicely.

I did make sure to exclude all light though (I covered the manured bed with weed suppressing fabric), as the grass throws up new shoots if it see's light! I have had this happen more than once!

[Yorkie]

One reason for chopping it down first is that it can be a nightmare to dig in, even if the grass has been shortened. 

Once you've chopped the tops off, turn it in.  But be prepared for it to take quite a while to rot down, and you need to leave an interval before trying to sow seeds as there can be chemicals released by the decomposition which inhibit germination.