Mixed Species Green Manure

Rye

Also known as grazing or cereal rye, this is one of the most effective crops for reducing nitrogen leaching over the winter and it also has good early winter growth, making it one of the best winter green manures. It will also give the earliest spring growth, which may be used for clean early spring grazing. It should not be confused with Ryegrass, as this is a different species, with different characteristics

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Black Oats

Black oats are sometimes known as Japanese or bristle oats. They are similar in terms of their appearance to common oats, but are larger in size and deeper rooting. They are generally used as a soil improving crop or green manure. They may be especially useful if brassicas already form an important part of the rotation and subsequently cannot be used as a green manure.

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Vetch

Vetch is a well known legume also known as common vetch or tares. It scrambling, smothering growth habit and frost tolerance make it a very useful winter cover crop or green manure.

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Brown Mustard

This is a quick growing winter hardy brassica, sometimes known as Indian mustard. It has had more interest recently due to its ability to supress certain soil borne nematodes in high value cash crops like potatoes and sugar beet, it could potentially be an alternative way of dealing with pest without using artificial nematicides, using a technique called bio-fumigation.

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Fodder Radish

Also commonly known as oil radish, fodder radish is a brassica, it is not a legume but it will hold any residual nitrogen in the soil, which it will then release as it breaks down over time. This species is slower to flower and go to seed than mustard and produces a deeper root system.

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Linseed

For many years linseed, as known as flax was an important component of fabric and linen yarn, it is also important because of its seeds, from which linseed oil is obtained. In the Uk linseed can be a component of game cover mixtures and over-winter wild bird seed mixtures.

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Phacelia

Phacelia is a rapidly growing, high biomass plant. It is a nitrogen holder and weed suppressor. Its eye catching purple flowers are particularly good at attracting bees and other beneficial insects.

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Buckwheat

This is a short term, aggressive weed suppressor. It is good at scavenging for phosphate in the soil, breaking it down and then making it available to subsequent crops after incorporation. It's especially useful in soils that suffer from phosphate lockup. With its quick growth, the plant can establish from seed in 8 - 10 weeks.

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Persian Clover

A legume species which is widely used across Europe. It is less common in the UK but can be a useful forage plant. This short term annual fixes nitrogen and is capable of rapid growth making it ideal for providing a quick boost to soil fertility where there is a window of 5-9 months. When in flower Persian clover has a particularly pleasing smell.

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Crimson Clover

An annual legume and true clover, traditionally sown in the south east of England for over-winter sheep keep.

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Species Guide