Green manures

[The Mouse]

Apart from field ryes - which I understand are quite difficult to dig in - what would be a good green manure to slot in anywhere in the rotation?
I am thinking in particular of what I should grow now to overwinter in the bed where my potatoes have just been lifted, and where peas/beans and carrots will go next year, but ideally I want something that I could also use elsewhere in the rotation.

I am fairly sure that one of the 'trusted' forum members gave an answer to this very question quite recently, but none of my searches have found it!

Also, any tips on where to buy allotment-size quantities of the seed without breaking the bank?

[Monika]

There is still time to sow red clover and winter tares (both nitrogen-fixing) and phacelia. These three don't like being grown too late in the season and could succumb to very cold winter weather if they have not grown enough before winter sets in. Winter grazing rye which you mention, of course, can be sown quite late and, in my experience, will stand any bad weather even if it is beaten down by snow.

I cleared our large broad bean and pea bed last week and today sowed red clover and phacelia in the bed which has just been hoed, not dug. The broad bean and pea roots are still in the bed and will be dug in when the green manure is dug in. Next year the potatoes will be grown in that bed.

[DiG]

Hi Mouse,

I got my green manure seed online from http://www.greenmanure.co.uk. I found their site helpful with quantities etc and it didn't seem too expensive but this was my first experience buying seed like this so there may be better ones out there. Example - 25g crimson clover which they say will cover 15 sq metres was £1.55 last year.

Hope this helps.

Diane.

[The Mouse]

Thank you both for your answers.

I have decided to go gor a mix of red clover (at least I think it was red, but might be crimson!) and Italian rye. It seems that Italian ryegrass is easier to dig in than the Hungarian variety.