Green Manure

Rotation

Sowing Time

Soil Type

Sowing Instruction

Comments

Buckwheat(hha)

Can be used in any rotation

April - Aug

Avoid acid and wet soils

100g covers 16 square metres.

Can be sown as soon as the soil is warm. Grows very quickly and produces large amounts of organic matter.

Crimson Clover Seeds(ha)

Others

Sow March to June. Sow August for overwintering

Lighter soils

100g covers 32 sq. metres. Sow Broadcast

An excellent nitrogen fixer. Attractive to bees if left to flower.

Clover – Wild White(hha)

Others

Most

50g covers 16sq. metres. Sow Broadcast

Strong growth that suppresses weeds and produces large amounts of organic matter. Can be used in the summer for interplanting between sweetcorn.

Field Bean(ha)

Others

Sept – Nov

Prefers heavy soil

100g covers 5sq. metres

10cm x15-20cm

This fixes nitrogen. Can be overwintered and will sprout after first cutting to give second lot of foliage. I

Sow in rows with alternate rows of ryegrass

Fodder Radish Seeds

Brassica

Aug – Sept

Most

100g covers 18 sq. metres

A deep tap root which brings up nutrients from the subsoil. Produces lots of organic matter which will die down if left over winter to be dug in the spring.

Mustard(hha)

Brassica

March – Sept

Most

100g covers 20sq. metres.

Very quick growing.  Does not like dry weather so sow during a wet spell(should be no problem in the UK !)

Phacelia Seeds(ha/hha)

(Phacelia Tanacetifolia)

Can be used in any rotation.

Sow March to September.

Most

50g covers 15sq. metres

A bushy plant with bright blue flowers which bees love. A hardy annual. Gives good ground cover and establishes quickly.
Dig in at or before flowering to prevent self seeding. If sown in patches around the garden, the flowers are an excellent attractant to beneficial insects and bees

Rye Grass Seeds

Can be used in any rotation

Aug – Sept

Most

100g covers 6 sq. metres 

The best for soil improvement especially on clay/heavy soils.  Can be used to inter sow between rows of field beans or vetch to give optimum weed suppression.

TREFOIL(hb)

Others

Sow between March-Sept and it will stand through the winter into the following season

Dislikes acid soils.

50g for 15 sq m

Will tolerate some shade and is suitable for undersowing.

Winter Tares Seeds (ha)
(Vetches Ebena)

Others

Sow March to September and turn in the spring.

Dislikes acid soils.

100g covers 6 sq. metres

This is a fast growing, scrambling, legume, with excellent weed smothering characteristics. It is capable of producing 7 tonnes/acre of biomass in 12-14 weeks, and fixes high levels of Nitrogen.
Vetches can also be mixed with Italian Ryegrass as a combined cover crop to boost overall yield. Once the Vetches are cut for forage, the grass will utilise the Nitrogen produced by the Vetches. The re-growth can then be ploughed in as biomass or used for grazing or silage.