Has anyone tried planting sainfoin in a vegetable garden? I read in a recent bee magazine that it's an old fodder crop, fixes nitrogen, and flowers and strongly attracts bees June-August, so could greatly help with bee survival.
It likes light alkaline soils and apparently grows to 1m so wouldn't do for example as underplanting for brassicas, in the way that some folk use red clover. But once established it wil survive several cuts (for fodder or, I guess, composting) and last 3/4 years. I gather it would have been planted in a mixed meadow (the name means 'healthy hay') as a valuable feed for all types of livestock.
Gill, Lancashire
sainfoin as green manure?
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alan refail
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I have seen sainfoin suggested for use as a long-term green manure - presumably for more than one year. Presumably you would need to have a fair bit of land for it to be useful.
Hi Gkerr 111,
To be perfectly honest I have never had anything to do with growing Sainfoin but I have grown Lucerne/Alfalfa which is quite closely related.
Both are more a long term project and Lucerne is extremely long rooted and long lifed and brings up beneficial ground chemicals far out of the reach of normal plants. The compost cut is well worth the effort.
Now I know that Lucerne grows here but I am not so sure about Sainfoin.
To avoid any disappointment I should look very deeply into the growing of this in the UK.
JB.
To be perfectly honest I have never had anything to do with growing Sainfoin but I have grown Lucerne/Alfalfa which is quite closely related.
Both are more a long term project and Lucerne is extremely long rooted and long lifed and brings up beneficial ground chemicals far out of the reach of normal plants. The compost cut is well worth the effort.
Now I know that Lucerne grows here but I am not so sure about Sainfoin.
To avoid any disappointment I should look very deeply into the growing of this in the UK.
JB.
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alan refail
- KG Regular
- Posts: 7254
- Joined: Sun Nov 27, 2005 7:00 am
- Location: Chwilog Gogledd Orllewin Cymru Northwest Wales
- Been thanked: 7 times
Most of my books suggest sainfoin is probably native to chalk and limestone areas of southern England
This link might get you started on the research Johnboy suggests.
This link might get you started on the research Johnboy suggests.
Hi Alan,
Thank you. What a splendid link. You really couldn't hope for more information.
I have never grown Lucerne as part of my farming activities only as a means of obtaining cuts for composting. I have never grown it as a 'green manure' as such but composting must come a very close second.
I will return to the link later on today as there are several points of which I wish to get a clearer picture. This morning I am going to be busy fencing, repairing my Rabbit protection.
JB.
Thank you. What a splendid link. You really couldn't hope for more information.
I have never grown Lucerne as part of my farming activities only as a means of obtaining cuts for composting. I have never grown it as a 'green manure' as such but composting must come a very close second.
I will return to the link later on today as there are several points of which I wish to get a clearer picture. This morning I am going to be busy fencing, repairing my Rabbit protection.
JB.