ive only really heard of mustrard or clover...are they in the top 5?
also hear comfrey is a useful plant to create a liquid manure...but surely the tuberous roots and slow time to mature puts them out of the reckoning as a green manure.
2007-10-11 11:02:07 · 7 answers · asked by Anonymous in Home & Garden ➔ Garden & Landscape
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Green manure - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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2007-10-11 20:55:26 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Green manure plants are generally fast growing, fleshy and often leguminous (these fix nitrogen in the soil via their roots).
Things like clover & vetch are often used.
Fast growing annuals are generally best - but they do need to be dug in before they seed!
Comfrey is good for making liquid fertilser and for speeding up the decomposition of other greenery into compost - nettles have the same effect.
With nettles and comfrey you would tend to dedicate a patch to growing them - then cut them down regularly as they will grow back very quickly - you wouldn't generally dig the whole plant in as a green manure though.
2007-10-11 11:09:31 · answer #2 · answered by Hedge Witch 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It really depends on the season you grow it and what soil conditions you are trying to improve.
The most popular that I've run across are:
spring oats
rapeseed
buckwheat
clover (annuals AND perennials)
soybeans
hairy vetch
Peaceful Valley Farm Supply has a matrix of about 80 different cover crops, their height ranges, tolerance for different soil conditions, growth rate, cold tolerance, etc. that can help one select appropriate cover crops for a soil situation.
Even if a plant is not listed as a traditional cover crop, it can still do well as one. I let some arugula go to seed and raked out the seeds over my garden bed. It sprouted a quick-growing, dense plot of arugula greens, effectively cover cropping the area which I knocked down for a green manure.
2007-10-11 14:55:05 · answer #3 · answered by Ralleia 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Green manures are particularly useful to cover areas of soil that you do not intend to plant out for some time. They protect the soil from weather erosion and have the added benefit of feeding it as well.
Winter Tares would be good to sow now.
This link will take you to a page that explains all and advises which green manures to grow for different times of the year.
http://www.kitchengardens.dial.pipex.com/greenmanure.htm
2007-10-11 19:41:42 · answer #4 · answered by Gardengirl 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Comfrey
2007-10-11 11:10:43 · answer #5 · answered by nutter2b 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
alfalfa is used as a green manure.
2007-10-11 11:09:48 · answer #6 · answered by HaSiCiT Bust A Tie A1 TieBusters 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
In addition to clover, lezpeza and sudan grass are good.
2007-10-11 12:53:30 · answer #7 · answered by Charles C 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋