When and why you need to plant green manure cover crops

Growing a cover crop of green manure is an incredibly effective way to increase soil structure, biology and nutrient levels. However, before you go planting green manure everywhere, make sure planting a cover crop of green manure is the right thing to do based on your short and long term garden goals.

Video timeline:

00:00 - Introduction
00:30 - Why do you need to plant a green manure cover crop?
01:12 - Why I planted a cover crop of barley as a green manure
06:33 - How do you plant and sow green manure?
08:29 - What types of green manure can you plant?
09:19 - Green manure cover crop summary

Why would you need to consider growing a cover crop of green manure?
- If you have poor soil structure, such a very sandy soil or clay soil
- Your soil lacks sufficient density to hold moisture and nutrients
- You need to add nutrients back into the soil, naturally

When it comes to growing a green manure cover crop in your food forest, raised bed, or vegetable patch, you need to be aware of some potential downfalls. Firstly, you will lose a full growing season. If you have very productive beds, plan for a drop in production as the green manure will require a full season (winter or summer) to grow and break down.

What types of green manures can you plant?
- Barley
- Oats
- Vetch
- Clover
- Alfafa
- Buckwheat
- Beans (broad beans for winter bean cover crop)

For more updates on my journey please follow my Facebook and Instagram pages:

#greenmanure #covercrop #growingfood

[MySustainabilityJourney]

Have you grown a green manure cover crop before? What did you plant and how did it impact your next growing season? Drop me a comment, I would love to know🌻

[pampotgieter]

I have just watched your video on cover crops.
Very interesting and informative. I planted Vetch last year. And it came up again this year.
I noticed it growing neatby where I. didn't plant it.
Very sparsely.
It has such beautiful flowers. The bees go crazy over the flowers.
Still learning, so many things to help improve soil structure.
Thank you Craig. 🌿💚🌿

[gailwildschut]

Thanks for this informative video. I haven't grown cover crops yet, but already bought alfalfa seeds. This video gave me the information I needed and I will start as soon as possible to benefit from the Cape winter rains.

[simonemary]

Thank you for this! I planned on it and then my chickens reminded me how they destroy anything little and I’ve put that on the back burner but now I am more determined as our soil is super sandy and rocky so really needs this. Going to figure it out so the chooks stay away 😅 I grew rye and oats successfully over winter in an area they couldn’t get to for root mass and the tops for my meat rabbits.