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Lois
helper
SE London, UK
Anyone any advice on green manures in a crop rotation?19 Mar '06 2:11 pm
Appologies for such a long post and thanks to anyone who manages to read it.
I have decided on which green manures to plant now within my rotation and have a few questions that I hope some of you may be able to help me with.
My 5 year rotation:
Crop 1: Potatoes, capsicums, aubergines + sweetcorn
GM: Winter Tares
Mulch: Compost
Crop 2: Legumes (beans and peas)
GM: Hungarian Grazing Rye mixed with Fenugreek
(Grazing Rye is said to protect against damage from clubroot)
Mulch: Leafmould
Crop 3: Brassicas (cabbage, sprouts, kohlrabi etc)
GM: Mustard
Mulch: Leafmould
Crop 4: Carrots, fennel, celeriac + some tomatoes
GM: Poached Egg Plant
Mulch: Compost
Crop 5: Alliums (onions, leeks, garlic)
GM: Oats, barley, red clover mix
(Oats and barley are said to kill eelworm)
Mulch: Well rotted manure
I also intend to use the Mexican marigold ‘Tagetes minuta’ as a green manure for any gaps in all beds in the rotation. (This wonderful GM apparently has a detrimental effect on bindweed and couch grass along with some others)
And to use leafmould as a mulch around any plants that require one
My questions:
Mustard
I have read that using mustard as a green manure in a rotation will not increase the likelihood of clubroot. Because I want to use grazing rye before the brassicas I would have to use the mustard following the brassicas. Is it best before or after the brassicas in a rotation? None of the books explain this although they all warn to consider crop rotation when planting green manures, especially those that are brassicas.
Grazing Rye
I intend to mix a nitrogen fixer with the grazing rye but I am concerned whether the rye will use up the nitrogen left by the winter tares and legumes and needed by the following crop of brassicas. Does anyone know if this is a possibility?
No-dig
I had difficulty deciding whether to go no-dig or not. In the end I decided to dig just once during the 5 year rotation. Apart from the protection against clubroot (which I am unlikely to have as my plot has been vacant for 8 years and nobody else on the site has it to my knowledge) grazing rye is also good for breaking up the ground and I did want to include it within the rotation. I am concerned by the fibrous roots. Will it be necessary to dig it in rather than cut and mulch? If so perhaps I should reposition it in the rotation since brassicas prefer a firmer soil and it wouldn’t be good to dig at this time in the rotation. Anyone any suggestions where I should turn the soil over within this 5 year rotation?
Tagetes minuta
As a green manure to fill any gaps I would not be leaving this to grow for too long. Unfortunately it is not suitable as an overwintering green manure due to its season being from April/May through to November. Does anyone know if the root exudations that harm the perennial weeds are present for the whole of the plants life? Or does it need to grow to maturity for this effect to happen?
Mulching
I don’t want to leave my soil bare at all once I get the rotation going and also want to feed the soil as much as I can. I have found it difficult in theory to fit in the green manures let alone in practice. Do you think that mulching with manure, compost or leafmould over the top of the cut green manure mulches will work? I have not noticed this recommended anywhere so far. I do intend to do this a good 6 to 8 weeks before planting and thought I could just rake the soil prior to sowing but having no experience I don’t know if this is practically possible.
Lois |
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