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How to dig in green manure?
In article ,
Ed ex@directory wrote: I have never grown a green manure before and am not clear, from what I have read, as to how exactly I should dig in the crop before it reaches flowering time. IF you dig, do it about three weeks before you plan to plant. Does 'digging in' simply mean turning the soil over with a fork to incorporate as much as possible of the top-growth into the top 4 to 6 inches? If I do that, won't it continue growing and sprout up again? IF you're going to dig, work it into the top 8" - 24" of soil. Or do I use a spade and start trenching and totally bury the growth from one trench-line into the bottom of the previous trench-line? - sort of like double digging. If so, that does sound like a lot of work. IF you are going to dig, this is a good method to do ONCE but not necessary. Please help! Ed My preferred method is to cut it and leave it lie. Then mulch over the cut plants. Wait two to three weeks and plant. This is a very modified form of lasagna gardening http://www.motherearthnews.com/Organ...1/Lasagna-Gard ening.aspx and it is a no dig approach to gardening. If you are worried about reemergence of the "green manure" or weeds, layer black and white news print over your planting area. If your soil is very hard and compact you may want to digthe "green manure" in the first time (I'd use a garden fork to reduce damage to the worms) or use some buckwheat or rye in combination with a nitrogen fixing plant like beans, or peas, or clover, or alfalfa. Rye and buckwheat can put an incredible amount of organic material into the soil as roots. Every year will just get better ;O) -- Billy Bush and Pelosi Behind Bars http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KVTf...ef=patrick.net http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1009916.html |
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How to dig in green manure?
On 19/08/08 18:17, Billy wrote:
In article , Ed ex@directory wrote: I have never grown a green manure before and am not clear, from what I have read, as to how exactly I should dig in the crop before it reaches flowering time. IF you dig, do it about three weeks before you plan to plant. Does 'digging in' simply mean turning the soil over with a fork to incorporate as much as possible of the top-growth into the top 4 to 6 inches? If I do that, won't it continue growing and sprout up again? IF you're going to dig, work it into the top 8" - 24" of soil. Or do I use a spade and start trenching and totally bury the growth from one trench-line into the bottom of the previous trench-line? - sort of like double digging. If so, that does sound like a lot of work. IF you are going to dig, this is a good method to do ONCE but not necessary. Please help! Ed My preferred method is to cut it and leave it lie. Then mulch over the cut plants. Wait two to three weeks and plant. This is a very modified form of lasagna gardening http://www.motherearthnews.com/Organ...1/Lasagna-Gard ening.aspx and it is a no dig approach to gardening. If you are worried about reemergence of the "green manure" or weeds, layer black and white news print over your planting area. If your soil is very hard and compact you may want to digthe "green manure" in the first time (I'd use a garden fork to reduce damage to the worms) or use some buckwheat or rye in combination with a nitrogen fixing plant like beans, or peas, or clover, or alfalfa. Rye and buckwheat can put an incredible amount of organic material into the soil as roots. Every year will just get better ;O) Billy, You always give a good reply. I think I go with your advice. Ed |
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