TAKING A LITTLE BREAK! We’re busy stocktaking and visiting gardens from June 26 – July 12. Orders will be dispatched the week of July 13. Thanks for your patience!
Your vegetables have been working hard all season, and so has your soil.
Green manures are one of the simplest ways to put something back. Their roots help improve soil structure, some varieties fix nitrogen, and the leafy growth can be composted or returned directly to the soil. They also help cover bare ground, suppress weeds and keep valuable nutrients where you need them.
Think of them as a way of looking after next year's crops while still gardening this year. A little seed now can make a real difference to the health and fertility of your plot.
Alfalfa – helps fix nitrogen in the soil, while the green top growth will help build your compost. Happy growing on poor soils too. Let it grow for at least 2 months or over the winter, cut and compost the top growth and dig in the rest. Crimson Clover – another nitrogen fixer happy in most garden soils. For this one we recommend growing for two to three months, then cut down and cover so that it rots down in place. In spring the cover will help warm the soil, uncover and dig in before sowing. Phacelia – is perfect for using in part of a bed after a crop has come out and can be used anywhere in a crop rotation. You can use this as a quick green manure, digging in after just a month. Do remember that a small clump or pot of phacelia is a magnet for pollinators and other beneficial insects. Its also a lovely cut flower.
Healthy soil grows healthy vegetables, and this collection makes it easy to give your garden a helping hand
