[crowndale]

I have read about comfrey as a garden must have, and also about green manures to fill in empty plots and add good stuff back.  For those who plant them, which have you found the best of the green manures?  I did a quick search for seeds and the organic catalogue listed 45 different varieties!  I greo on heavy clay soil but with a fair bit of sand added this year and last.

[noshed]

I used field beans and Hungarian grazing rye this winter. The beans have done well but I don't think the rye has been sown thickly enough (unusually for me). The rye is supposed to be good for clay soils. I'd recommend both - I got them from Kings, who have a useful table in their catalogue.
I must admit this time of year that if you've got spare ground I'd bung spuds and broad beans in. You can eat them

[shaun]

i tried mustard last year after 1st spuds and it was expensive and hardly germinated

[WG.]

I have read about comfrey as a garden must have, and also about green manures to fill in empty plots and add good stuff back.  For those who plant them, which have you found the best of the green manures?  I did a quick search for seeds and the organic catalogue listed 45 different varieties!  I greo on heavy clay soil but with a fair bit of sand added this year and last.

You don't mention whether you are green manuring in summer or winter?  My suggestions would be :

1. Summer: mustard or fenugreek (which you can eat)

2. Winter: Tares or Hungarian Grazing Rye

3. Don't bother.  I'm with noshed on this - grow something you can eat, compost what you can't eat and add all of the goodness back with compost, comfrey and loads and loads of manure

[mandycharlie]

I was reading something about green manures..

and it basically said (cause I'm scratching the edge of my brain at this point)

that there are different green manures, some suitable for growing brassicas in next and some for beans..

or... knowing me, it could have been a bit of a dim moment

just trying to learn 'cause there is sooo much to learn

[muntjac]

well sorry but im a * that for work fella here .. ok so we grow fod on a plot . now we fertilize the ground to grow  a green manure and dig it in .. more work here . the nutrient level is reduced ...... why .. bother just throw some good horse / cow poop etc in it and leave it to weather after ya dug it in.
 no nonsense gardening from em again lolo

[shaun]

too right give it a good dressing of plop over the winter you cant beat it

[WG.]

well sorry but im a * that for work fella here .. ok so we grow fod on a plot . now we fertilize the ground to grow  a green manure and dig it in .. more work here . the nutrient level is reduced ...... why .. bother just throw some good horse / cow poop etc in it and leave it to weather after ya dug it in.
 no nonsense gardening from em again lolo

As per (3) above, eh!  We gotta stop agreeing on things Munt.  

Green manure is useful for organic farms where they can't get enough manure & can sow, chop and plough mechanically.

[ziggywigs]

So is this a waste of time?  I was going to GM last Autumn but i was concerned about the difficulty in getting it dug in in plenty of time before i needed the ground for crops. Also i had read that some plants leave a residue which can interfer with germination etc.

Then i was told that although it takes nutrients out of the soil when you dig it back in it puts it back....but apparently the best bit is that the GM takes the nutrients from deep down which plants don't normally get to.

I didn't do it....basically cos I top dress my beds with compost for the worms to work on....but the other reason was i couldn't find anything that seemed easy enough to plant and dig back in, then i got myself really confused and i thought b****r it my crops seem healthy enough without and i add cow plop every year to certain beds and compost to others and rotate. :?

[muntjac]

so that knocks green manuring on the head then ziggy

[ziggywigs]

It certainly does....i don't go looking for extra work!

[shaun]

i think there are better ways to improve your soil.yep its a rip off,i paid £12 for that packet of mustard and it was the worst £12 i spent in my life.
never ever again

[mandycharlie]

Oh thats what I like about this forum,

no nonsense advice..

Green manures, not the thing to do... manure, manure, manure is...

got it (a raised thumb type emoticon if we had one)

[crowndale]

Well I've never done it before, only added manure and compost, thought it might be good for the bare patches left during the winter if only because green is a prettier colour than brown and might keep down the weeds.  But then I am not into hard work either and if digging them in is that hard maybe I won't bother, I'll see how I feel in the autumn!

[muntjac]

quote  " the bare patches left during the winter if only because green is a prettier colour than brown

 oh not colour cordination in the garden now crown  

i love this site