On Sun, 31 Oct 2004 14:09:46 +0000, David Rance
wrote:

My neighbour plants mustard every autumn as a green manure. I've always
thought that it shouldn't be allowed to grow too tall before ploughing
in, but he lets it grow it about waist height and flowering. In fact, I
think he waits for the frost to kill it and then ploughs it in the
following spring. I can see that it would keep down weeds as a mulch,
but is it good to let it grow so big and fibrous?

What is the received wisdom of the members of urg? Should mustard be
allowed to grow this big or is it generally ploughed in much earlier?

I have used mustard as a late green manure, but covered the whole
patch with black polythene before it flowered and left it for the
winter. The mustard rots down and I was left with weed free, friable
soil to work in Spring.

Pam in Bristol