What is green manure about?
The name green manure does not adequately describe the actual processes involved in using certain types of plants as intermediate crops. It is true that in some cases nitrogen is bound and stored in the soil, but quite different side effects of cultivating green manure plants are also significant. For example, an intermediate seed like Phacelia:
- the soil is enriched with humus
- the subsurface is secured and protected from silting up
- compacted earth effectively loosened
- a honey plant for bees
- possible weed growth on fallow land suppressed
also read
- The germination period of the Phacelia
- The heyday of Phacelia
- Phacelia Seeds: Important Factors
Grow Phacelia as a green manure
In recent years, the so-called “bee friend” (Phacelia) has moved into the focus of public interest, primarily due to the high nectar production in the many individual flowers. At the same time, the herbaceous plants that grow up to a meter high are also a pretty element in perennial beds or on slopes that are difficult to plant. The white to light blue and purple-blue petals of the flowers can be used effectively for color contrasts with other garden plants. For sowing the seeds, which can be obtained comparatively cheaply, the selected spot in the flower or vegetable patch is simply cleared of other growth and lightly raked. The seeds are easily incorporated into the soil and should be kept evenly moist during the germination period.
The timing is crucial
When using phacelia as green manure, a certain conflict of interest can arise with its use as a bee pasture. This is due to the fact that the nitrogen content of these basically very rapidly growing plants steadily decreases until the time of flowering. You will get the best effects for enriching the soil with nitrogen if you coarsely mow the bee friend before flowering and work it directly into the soil after the leaf mass has dried.
Tips
Different types of plants from the field of green manure can be combined in the garden to a true color palette with rapid growth. Simply mix green manure types such as the bee friend with yellow mustard, marigolds and lupins on the areas to be greened.
