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?

Thanks for your thoughts.

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In article , David Rance david.ran
writes
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?

The important thing about mustard or any other green manure is to turn
the herbage in before seeds begin forming, otherwise re-seeding will
occur. For safety, I prefer not to let flower heads progress very far,
but if extra fibre is needed in the soil, your neighbour is doing the
right thing.
--
Alan & Joan Gould - North Lincs.

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

On 11/1/04 2:15 AM, in article ,
"Pam Moore" wrote:

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
Many good posts on this topic. As someone has already mentioned-do not let
any green manure plant go to seed. Cutting off the tops with a weed wacker
or lawn mower before digging it in will work also.
Twiggy

On Sun, 31 Oct 2004, Alan Gould wrote:

The important thing about mustard or any other green manure is to turn
the herbage in before seeds begin forming, otherwise re-seeding will
occur. For safety, I prefer not to let flower heads progress very far,
but if extra fibre is needed in the soil, your neighbour is doing the
right thing.

Yes, I thought the same thing about the flowering. But thanks for
reassuring me about the fibre.

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| Internet: | writing from |
| Fidonet: David Rance 2:252/110 | Caversham, |
| BBS: telnet://mesnil.demon.co.uk | Reading, UK |
+-------------------------------------------------------+

On Mon, 1 Nov 2004, Pam Moore wrote:

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.

Now that's a good idea! Thanks for that, Pam

--
+-------------------------------------------------------+
| Internet: | writing from |
| Fidonet: David Rance 2:252/110 | Caversham, |
| BBS: telnet://mesnil.demon.co.uk | Reading, UK |
+-------------------------------------------------------+