We've been sowing seeds for green manure crops where there are garden beds not being used or areas where customers are deciding what to plant. Bare soil invites weeds to make themselves at home, and when it rains, valuable soil and water wash away taking nutrients with them. Benefits of covered soil There are many reasons to sow a green manure crop. To:
Before cover crops seed Cut them down or pull them out before they go to seed. Use the stems as mulch or dig it into the soil to rot down and release nutrients for the next crop and improve soil structure. What to sow Diversity is the way to go. Each plant has its own benefits, from attracting beneficial insects, to adding specific nutrients to the soil. Include your cover crop in your vege crop rotation plan. Ie don’t grow plants of the same family after each other. In winter, we have oats and legumes (nitrogen fixers) such as beans, lupins and various types of peas. There’s also winter-hardy salad crops, such as corn salad and miner’s salad (Claytonia). Experiment with what works in your area and with your soil. You’ve got a lot to gain and very little to lose.
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Comfrey has many benefits. Get the sterile one, Symphytum Officinale (common comfrey), which is propagated by the root, not seeds. The tap root goes deep into the soil to bring up the nutrients for nearby plants. Plant it under your fruit trees with a wild flower mix that attracts beneficial insects.
You can also soak the leaves in water for a health tonic for your plants. The plants below are going in a client's orchard this week. |
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