Green manure

pitchroy

I was advised to sow green manure last autumn in the vegetable garden.  It grew well and I strimmed it earlier this spring.   I am trying to dig it in but it is a mass of roots and new green shoots.  Any suggestions?

 

Jimmy Crawford

Dig round it so that you can turn over a square-ish lump, turn it over and then break it up. It's hard work, but the plants will thank you for it through the year.

pitchroy

Thanks Jimmy but as an old and not very agile woman, I was hoping there was an easier solution!

Blue Onion

Too late now, but next year plant something the frost/winter will kill off.  That way you can just lightly dig over, if you so desire, to get the vegetation down into the ground.  If you happen to have an excessive amount of salad/lettuce seeds, use those.  

For this year, I think you're going to have to do the hard work.  What did you plant?  Could you cover it with a thick layer of something?  A nice sheet of thick black plastic to heat the soil and exclude light in order to kill everything off?  Then maybe till everything under once it's been covered for a month or two?  How do you usually condition your soil in the spring?  

pitchroy

I have someone to dig the patch - the roots are dry - should they be dug in or removed?

Dovefromabove

pitchroy wrote (see)

I have someone to dig the patch - the roots are dry - should they be dug in or removed?

Dig it all in.  Which sort of green manure did you sow?

pitchroy

it was called winter green manure - a mixture of rye & vetch

Dovefromabove

Yes, dig the roots in - the vetch roots should have nitrogen stores which will rot down into the soil - it'll be good for brassicas and tomatoes this year

pitchroy

Thank you very much.