[Rich72]

Morning all. Due to my plot friends illness and recent death, our plot has been somewhat neglected. I was wondering if anyone could recommend a green manure to sow after I have cleared the plot, that I can leave overwinter so I have a nice fresh start come springtime. I am not going to grow overwinter onions as I have approx 160 summer ones to last me. Any recommendations for green manure would be greatly appreciated. I really want to keep the plot on in my friends memory but I'm sure I will be getting a letter about it soon

[devonbarmygardener]

Hi.
Sorry to hear about your friend - very sad.

I'm trying Winter tares - they are dug down in spring and leave the soil nitrogen rich.
But there are many green manures that do different things to the soil so it's good to have a plan so you know what's going where and what those plants will need

[Yorkie]

This is quite a useful site where you can see what is suitable for now and your type of ground.

If you have clubroot problems, avoid mustard.

http://www.greenmanure.co.uk/

[Kristen]

Can be surprising how much seed you need for a green manure, so might be worth looking at Moles Seeds prices.  No free postage on Green manure seed though I'm afraid ...

http://www.molesseeds.co.uk/flower_and_vegetable_seed_store_uk/Products_Green_Manure_3650.html

If your soil is heavy that Field Beans maybe?  Supposed to break up the soil I believe.

[seaside]

I've been a bit tardy so missed the window really for the planned red clover and alphalfa that should be sown earlier. Winter tares, as the name suggests, is one of the few that can still be sown in September, so like Barmy, I went for that. It was sown in rows yesterday. I guess the other Winter option is as above, field beans. The tares is a really, really good nitrogen fix and reasonably easy to dig in as and when.

[trunk monkey]

My soil is clay I use a mixture of field beans and Hungarian rye grass.
Trunkie

[devonbarmygardener]

I've been a bit tardy so missed the window really for the planned red clover and alphalfa that should be sown earlier. Winter tares, as the name suggests, is one of the few that can still be sown in September, so like Barmy, I went for that. It was sown in rows yesterday. I guess the other Winter option is as above, field beans. The tares is a really, really good nitrogen fix and reasonably easy to dig in as and when.

My winter tares have sprouted suddenly since sunday!

I haven't got room for anything else green manure-wise at the moment - too much stuff still growing!

[seaside]

What with the empty beds of the onions, early potatoes, early peas and Spring/early Summer cabbages, I find I have a good quarter of my plot vacant now. It needs covering if nothing else.
So, a bit more research and looking what's available in the local area, I've decided to sow some clover as well as  the Tares, but only as a short term few months sort of thing to dig back in the very early Spring. Not the best time, but it should get a fair bit of growth before the Winter sets in. I'm not sure exactly how much nitrogen might be fixed over Winter, probably not a lot, but it's better than leaving the ground bare, and the plot really does have areas that need a lot of plant material incorporated, regardless of nutrient replacement/recycling.

Can't source specific green manure field beans locally for some reason, but I couldn't resist the big help-yerself tubs of Autumn broad beans on sale at a Saltash garden centre. So along with aquadulce claudia supply for twopence, as my main bean crop for next year, I've also gone for a DIY 30 square metres of Imperial beans that will serve as half Spring dug in green manure/soil conditioner, and half food crop experiment ... the ratio of which will depend on the weather at the time.
Not perfect, but with all the manure thing just costing a couple of quid, and half a day's digging, I must be happy.

[gremlin]

Trouble is that most green manures don't grow for me.
It was a question of trial and error to find ones that did.  Mustard and Phacelia work for me.

I still have one to two to try, such as Grazing rye and Alfalfa.

[devonbarmygardener]

My winter tares have sprouted.

They don't like drought conditions according to the packet so I've been watering them and the celeriac more than the rest of the plot.
It's ok tonight though as it's raining!

Oh bottoms! I didn't pellet them!

[Annen]

Does anybody know if there is a green manure which is best to follow a crop of onions which went a bit mouldy in places?  I have read that caliente mustard is good to follow diseases as it is a bio-fumigant, but would it be effective against a fungus?

[Sparkyrog]

Does anybody know if there is a green manure which is best to follow a crop of onions which went a bit mouldy in places?  I have read that caliente mustard is good to follow diseases as it is a bio-fumigant, but would it be effective against a fungus?

when you say a bit mouldy do you mean on top or white rot on the bottom ? if its on the bottom I doubt it will cure it .

[Annen]

Whiteish mould around the base where the roots join on.  I don't know if it is Onion White Rot or if it is just mouldy onions. 
The worst affected were, for reasons I won't bore you with, growing in a mesh tunnel along with the brassicas, and I'm guessing it might have made the air in there more humid and therefore more likely to grow moulds.

[Sparkyrog]

I hate to say this but that sounds like white rot ! and it can stay in the soil for 8 years some say 10 ! try to avoid that area with any allium and that includes leeks and garlic 

[Mbmyco2]

I picked up some at wyevale in their 50p a packet sale