hey everybody, I just dug up my garden bed but can't use the whole area for cropping. So I want to sow some legumes as green manure. Does anybody have suggestions on which one to use best and what to watch out for. thanks Jorg

-- Jorg-M Unseld (oakpower@byrononline.net), June 22, 2001

Answers

which legume for green manure or cover crop

It may be useful to ask an experienced person at your local rural supply company, where you will probably buy your seed anyway. They will know which green manure or cover crops have proven over the years to be well suited to your local climate and soil, and the time of year you plan to sow. Also important to consider how close or far from other crops you are planting, and whether you will use machinery or not for slashing/mulching/digging in your green manure later. For example, I found lupins (field lupins, not garden flowers) easy to manage in a small garden. Vigorous climbing legumes are suited to big open areas but in limited space they can cause problems by smothering small crops close by and/or running up into trees.

-- Julia Hazel (jhazel@nor.com.au), July 09, 2001.