Thursday 7 November 2013

Green Compost



If you have a bare empty patch in your garden or allotment that may consist of poor soil, then why not consider growing something to create green manure or compost. This is just the right time of year and there are various plants you can grow which will enrich the soil and help improve the soil structure. As well as improving the soil these plants will often help cover the ground and prevent weeds from taking over.
Field beans can be grown from Sept onwards over the winter as can rye grass. Once the plants have grown and you are ready to plant something else the plants can be cut down and dug into the ground encouraging micro organisms. These help decompose the green compost giving a really healthy soil. Growing plants that give ground cover also encourage insects and frogs and beetles like the cool damp undergrowth.
 




Phacelia is a lovely plant with pretty blue flowers that can be used to attract bees and hoverflies. This can be sown in early spring and cut down before it flowers and dug in after a couple of months or you can wait till the autumn and then dig it in the following spring. Phacelia will thrive in most soils and as it’s a fairly bushy plant will help with keeping the weeds out.






For more info on the different plants to use for green manure and lots of useful information on producing green manure then check out this website: www.gardenorganic.org.uk

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