Grow a green manure crop

Green manures are an important organic strategy in the kitchen garden that returns valuable nutrients back to the soil where it’s needed, replenishing the soil for future crops. Seeds are sown straight into the soil, the biomass is then dug back into the soil while in full growth and green and sappy, thus feeding the soil for the crop to come. In winter we sow clever clover and in summer you could go for comfrey. Comfrey can be picked for this purpose 4 times a year.

Options: Choose between comfrey, clover, lucerne, lupins and mustard.

Clever clover: Clever Clover is a legume that grows through the cold, wet weather, and being annual, die back in late spring, just in time for the planting of tomatoes and other summer crops. Not only does it provide nutrients for your garden beds, it dies down and forms a mulch in time for the planting of summer vegetables. The dying roots provide valuable air pores for the roots of summer vegetables to grow into, creating a soil aeration without the harmful effects of digging. It saves on weeding, digging and spreading fertilisers provided the timing is right. If, for example, the subterranean clover does not die down when you want to plant out tomato seedlings or pumpkin seeds, simply ‘solarise’ the clover by covering the area with clear plastic (25°C+ temperature) which will effectively burn off the foliage and roots without affecting the soil.