Green manure that will replace tons of manure: your plot will be transformed in a month

Green manures are life-saving plants that improve the soil without chemicals.

In early spring, when the beds are still empty, sow mustard, phacelia or rye. They grow quickly, suppress weeds and loosen the soil with their roots.

Benefits of green manure

For example, mustard grows 20–30 cm in a month, and its roots go deep, breaking up even heavy clay.

After 3-4 weeks, mow the green mass and dig it into the soil. As it rots, it will saturate the soil with nitrogen and organic matter.

This is especially useful for heavy clay soils - green manure will make them breathable. But do not dig the soil with a shovel - just cut the plants with a flat cutter and leave them on the surface.

This will preserve the soil structure, and the worms themselves will drag the greenery deep into the soil.

Another plus is that green manure repels pests.

For example, mustard reduces wireworms, and phacelia attracts bees that pollinate your garden.

Lupine planted before cabbage will repel cruciferous flea beetles, and rye will not give couch grass a chance.

The main thing is not to let the plants go to seed, otherwise they will turn into weeds.

Interesting fact

Green manure can be sown not only in spring, but also in autumn, after harvesting.

For example, winter vetch will protect beds from erosion, and in the spring it will become fertilizer for early plantings.

And if you mix mustard, radish and rapeseed seeds, you get a powerful “cocktail” against nematodes and fungal infections.

For best results, combine green manures.

For example, legumes (vetch, peas) enrich the soil with nitrogen, cereals (rye, oats) improve the structure, and cruciferous plants (mustard, rapeseed) disinfect the soil.

After green manure, do not plant crops from the same family: for example, do not sow cabbage after mustard - they have the same pests.

Use green manure even in a greenhouse

They will restore the soil after tomatoes and cucumbers, which greatly deplete the soil.

And if you plant phacelia next to potatoes, the Colorado potato beetle will attack the plantings less.