[friter]

The plot I've taken over has been fallow for three years. There are two large compost heaps which I'm using to enrich my newly formed beds. This will leave me with no compost to dig in this Autumn. What can I sow as a Green Manure for "Digging In"?

Please be gentle with me as I'm an absolute novice.

Ernie

[Kleftiwallah]

If you are planning on growing green manure in August/September/November time, you could try Field beans.   Extremely hardy and a nitrogen fixer.     (the nitrogen is collected by the plant and stored on nodules on the roots).   if you chop these plants down and dig in next March, this nitrogen is available for other crops.


Cheers,      Tony.

[Christine]

Well there is the explanation that is attached to this site which is a useful bit of reading to help you.

There's a useful explanation of green manures from the RHS and this one gives you some idea of prices.

Hope that lot answers most of your questions.  

Of course you should be starting your own compost heaps for the future even now. My favourite explanation of what you can use to build a compost heap is found here. It has taught me to be very good at seeing things for composting and for scrounging stuff to compost. 

[Andy D]

I'd be tempted to try lupins as a green manure - the long roots woll help break up the ground too.

Didn't really know about them as a green manure until I came across them in a permaculture book.

Andy

[shokkyy]

Interesting to see that Gardening Organic say it's okay to add blight infected tomato or spud plants to a compost heap. I always thought you shouldn't do that.

[gremlin]

Not sure there is one answer.  It depends on your site.  Mustard and phacelia work well for me, but the other types dont.  Clover and beans just shrivel and die.  Lupins were pathetic the first time I tried, fantastic the second. Having dug out acres of couch grass, I am not keen to try any grasses!!!

I have given up digging in as too much like hard work, and now just gather the stuff up and add to the compost heap, so it gets dug in eventually.

There is also a incredible difference in prices in green manure seeds. Beware!

[friter]

Thanks for all the replies. I've got enough info to get on with composting right away.

Ernie