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Green manure

Lily PillyLily Pilly Posts: 3,845
in Fruit & veg
May I ask,as I seem to get so many different answers, this  question ....

what do you use as green manure now we are all beginning to clear our fruit and veg beds?
Weeds are flowers, too, once you get to know them.”
A A Milne

Posts

  • josusa47josusa47 Posts: 3,530
    Field beans.
  • Lily PillyLily Pilly Posts: 3,845
    Hmmmm thanks J but I dont have any of them!

    any other suggestions? I have masses of raspberry pruning and potatoes shaws!
    Weeds are flowers, too, once you get to know them.”
    A A Milne
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 88,147
    edited September 2018
    I'm confused ... are we talking about green manure (plants like rye, alfalfa, mustard etc) to grow where the veggies were, or are we talking about 'greens' to add to the 'brown' layers in the compost bin?

    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • Lily PillyLily Pilly Posts: 3,845
    Green manure to put in veg/fruit cage 
    sorry, I can confuse myself sometimes!
    Weeds are flowers, too, once you get to know them.”
    A A Milne
  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Posts: 11,384
    As Dove said, 'green manure' means growing plants on bare soil (usually over winter) and then digging them in (in early spring) so they rot under the soil and so provide nutrients for the main crop you'll be planting in that area a few weeks later.
    For a fruit cage, you want to lay a 2-3 inch layer of well-rotted manure and/or home made garden compost over the soil beneath your fruit bushes and trees.
    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
  • Lily PillyLily Pilly Posts: 3,845
    Brill, thank you. We have masses of compost. My fruitcage is a new venture!
    Weeds are flowers, too, once you get to know them.”
    A A Milne
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