"michael" wrote m...

On Tuesday, 14 January 2014 11:33:24 UTC, michael wrote:
I try to plant green manure these days supplemented with my own compost
and fish blood and bone.I have had bad experience with local rotted horse
manure containing pesticide residues,and have given up using it.I tend to
sow a green manure in mid August,after for example peas and potatoes have
been taken up.I sow the seeds in 2" deep grooves about a foot apart as
this protects attack by pigeons before germination,then dig it in in mid
January so that the grown green manure has rotted away by April. I
normally use a green manure called Ryecorn,which I obtain from
Tuckers.Unfortunately fresh seed for this crop tends now only to be
available in mid September from Tuckers,which I find somewhat late to
obtain good growth by mid winter. This year I have changed to Italian
Ryegrass,since fresh years seed becomes available in May,and this has
grown very well from its sowing last August. I think that generally I
would prefer Ryecorn,since it produces a thicker leaf and stronger root
system,but it is important to use fresh seed since the germination falls
off very rapidly. I would like to know whether anyone in this group has
experience of sowing green manure in August for digging-in in
midwinter,and where they get their seed from. Michael

Plotholders on our allotment site use a lot of green manure-the site is
partly sandy at one end and heavy clay at the other.Most users are very
happy with the result and they usually dig it in in mid January when the
soil is quite damp and in a good condition for digging it in.As I have said
in my earlier post ,few of our plotholders trust horse manure obtained from
local farms as they do not know the origin of the material eaten by the
horses,and it is almost impossible to find out-stable owners and farmers
will tell you it is fine,when it generally isnt.Until Dow Chemical Company
stops producing the offending herbicide,I will not touch it.I would be very
surprised if noone else (apart from Bob)on this gardening forum uses
Ryecorn or Ryegrass,and has some experience in sourcing a supplier apart
from Tuckers
Michael

If they dig it in in mid January then they aren't on clay, only once have I
been able to got on our soil in January and then it was with walking boards.
It's just too wet and sticky to do anything with except ruin any structure
there is. March is usually the earliest we can get going.
--
Regards. Bob Hobden.
Posted to this Newsgroup from the W of London, UK