Any spare patch of ground, such as post-harvest vegetable beds or even bits of garden you’ve yet to decide what to do with, can be sown with green manure. The name covers a plethora of plants that will protect the soil from the weather, take light and water from weeds, and leave a nutritious, nitrogen-rich, structure-improving legacy. Quick-growing green types to sow now include phacelia, a pretty purple flower that bees love; fenugreek, a fast-growing crop that gives lots of organic matter to dig in; and sweet clover, which is deep-rooting, breaking up heavy soil so you don’t have to. There are many more, so there’s sure to be one to suit your soil type and the length of time you need coverage for; greenmanure.co.uk…

Source: The Times August 05, 2017 23:03 UTC