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Leaving pea plants roots in the ground and planting new veg straight on top of them?

zara.modelzara.model Posts: 21
in Fruit & veg
Hi, I had read that leaving pea plants roots in the ground is good for nitrogen fixing. So I wondered if I do this, is it ok to plant different veg straight on top of where the pea plants where and their roots remain? Or do they need time to break down first and might interfere with the new plant roots? Any advice appreciated. Thank you 🙏🙂

Posts

  • SalixGoldSalixGold Posts: 450
    It might well take many years for the nitrogen in the pea roots (or any legumes) to be bio-available provide to other plants. It's a confused picture at the moment. It maybe that towards the end of the life of a pea plant, most of the nitrogen will be amassed in the peas. By harvesting them it may be that the majority of nitrogen is removed. It's more complicated than it's often made out to be and worth researching.



  • CrankyYankeeCrankyYankee Posts: 504
    I'd heard that at a soil workshop that I went to last summer.  When my peas were spent I cut them and left the roots in the soil, but I let them sit over winter and planted the bed again this spring.  I can't say that I've seen anything extraordinary in the plants that are in the bed now.
    New England, USA
    Metacomet soil with hints of Woodbridge and Pillsbury
  • SalixGoldSalixGold Posts: 450
    When my peas were spent I cut them and left the roots in the soil

    As described in the link, I don't suppose the roots will add much in that scenario.

  • pinutpinut Posts: 194
    Yes, it is perfectly ok to do that but maybe not plant the new veg directly into the same hole as the peas - plant the new veg next to them and let the pea roots rot away.

    This cutting away of the tops and leaving the roots behind is a well known method for managing small spaces where different crops are grown together (eg square foot gardening). Employ the method if the crop adjacent is sensitive to root disturbance deeper than about an inch or so.

  • SalixGoldSalixGold Posts: 450
    Yes, it might just not add anything of use to the soil, so it maybe all a bit pointless.
  • zara.modelzara.model Posts: 21
    SalixGold said:
    It might well take many years for the nitrogen in the pea roots (or any legumes) to be bio-available provide to other plants. It's a confused picture at the moment. It maybe that towards the end of the life of a pea plant, most of the nitrogen will be amassed in the peas. By harvesting them it may be that the majority of nitrogen is removed. It's more complicated than it's often made out to be and worth researching.



    Wow well that article undoes anything I had ever read! Amazing really! I'm new to gardening and constantly trying to learn more and more but it seems literally everything I Google also has the contradictory answer below. It's a very confusing science! (And I never was any good at science!) 🤦‍♀️🙂 Fascinating though! And makes it sound like growing peas are only useful as literally a 'chop and drop' type thing, providing you don't remove any pea pods or touch the ground thereafter for several years! (Which is not exactly alot of fun!) Thanks for sharing that link.
    I'll probably leave some roots in the ground just because it's easier and I don't want to disturb the soil around them as I have carrots next to then, but not for any major reason of nitrogen fixing then! 🙂 Thank you 🙂
  • zara.modelzara.model Posts: 21
    pansyface said:
    Should be fine. Which plants?
    Havn't really decided yet, some kind of leafy green thing. Sown some Asian greens and some rocket (but theyre still tiny seedlings). But I already have carrots in the bed, so whichever are smaller as not to get in their way too much. 🙂

    (Although I grew carrots in there and then my dad told me I shouldn't have done that as carrots don't like manure and I'd put manure in!) Live and learn! Everything I grow is literally just a learning curve it seems!)😃🤦‍♀️
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