Winter cover crops/green manure - Printable Version +- Garden And Gossip Forums (https://gardenandgossip.org) +-- Forum: Plots, pots and gardens (https://gardenandgossip.org/forumdisplay.php?fid=36) +--- Forum: Working the plot (https://gardenandgossip.org/forumdisplay.php?fid=37) +--- Thread: Winter cover crops/green manure (/showthread.php?tid=2208)

Winter cover crops/green manure - Veggie - 23-08-2024 I'm curious about winter cover crops, grown to protect bare soil over winter and to improve the soil in some way as a bonus.  I've been reading the info on https://www.sowseeds.co.uk/blogs/sow-seeds-blog/beginners-guide-to-sowing-growing-green-manure and am still confused! Does anyone here grow any of these seeds and can help me choose? I don't fancy growing a grass seed like rye as  I hate grass and have a fear of it taking over. Same with clover. Don't want to grow anything that needs to be dug in/turned in/mown as I'm too lazy.  Ideally it would be something that dies in spring, or after a frost (assuming we have one).  As a bonus, it would be edible in some way while it was growing.  Any suggestions please? RE: Winter cover crops/green manure - Small chilli - 23-08-2024 I’ve never really understood the cover crop thing. And never done it myself. Like you I don’t want to dig things in or turn. I’ve never understood why it wouldn’t just re grow and become a weed. I’ll happily admit I’m very ignorant in the cover crop and green manure department. Is there actually a difference in the two ?  RE: Winter cover crops/green manure - JJB - 24-08-2024 My cover crop seems to grow automatically, bittercress! Then again if you sow something all over and then dig it in, aren’t you digging in all the weeds that have come up along with the green manure. Each year I've got grass, bittercress, groundsel , dandelions, clover, etc coming up in the veg patch, I wouldn't want to dig all that in as well. Not that I'm going to bother with cover crops. PS how does No Dig cope with cover crops - basically what V was asking. RE: Winter cover crops/green manure - Veggie - 24-08-2024 No Dig - As far as I can gather, there are some that are killed by frost and then lie in a shrivelled brown heap on the surface of the soil to be "drawn down by worms". Others are mowed and lie in a truncated green heap on the surface to be drawn down by worms. EDIT Found this on the CD/No Dig Forum https://forum.charlesdowding.co.uk/community/topic/green-manure-dig-or-no-dig/ RE: Winter cover crops/green manure - JJB - 24-08-2024 Are you going to do it? RE: Winter cover crops/green manure - Veggie - 24-08-2024 Only if I can find something that ticks all my boxes.