Now is a good period when green manure can be planted in the garden. These are crops that are also called "green fertilizers." Harvested in time and mixed with the soil, they enrich it with a large amount of nutrients. They are also an excellent organic fertilizer that improves the structure of the soil and promotes the growth of beneficial microorganisms.

OBOZREVATEL shares what plants can be used as green manure and where it is good to grow them to get the most nutrients from them.

How to grow green manure

You should sow such plants after harvesting. Before the cold weather comes, they will have time to sprout, which will have to be cut and dug into the ground so that they can naturally decompose and enrich the soil in winter and spring. Some crops are mowed in the spring. The main condition is that these plants should be cut before they begin to bloom or form seeds. The gardener's task is not to propagate such herbs but to use them to improve the condition of the soil.

In addition, green manure can be used as mulch. Mowed plants are used to cover beds to protect them from drying out. It is best to have a thick layer of such mulch, starting from 15 cm. Among other things, soil worms and beetles will feel good in it. These plants are also good for composting.

Which plants can be used as green manure

Many plants can serve as green manure. The main task is to use them while they are still young and the concentration of nutrients in the stems and leaves is high.

In general, plants that perform this function well can be divided into botanical families:

• Legumes: lupine, sweet clover, clover, vetch, alfalfa, chickpea, lentils, soybeans, peas, chickpeas, serradella, beans;
• Cabbage: mustard, oil radish, rapeseed, rape;
• Cereals: wheat, oats, barley, rye;
• Buckwheat: buckwheat;
• Asteraceae: calendula, sunflower;
• Amaranthaceae: amaranth;
• Water lilies: phacelia.

Earlier, OBOZREVATEL shared what flowers to plant in the fall to get a lush garden in the spring.

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