Story: Green Crops for Healthy Gardens
Episode: 7
Presenter: Nigel Ruck
Air Date: 13th April 2024

Nigel walks us through the idea of green crops.

• Poor plant growth often stems from inadequate soil quality, as soil serves as the foundation of any garden.
• Continuous cropping in vegetable patches can deplete soil nutrients and lead to poor soil structure, but planting green crops for green manure offers a natural solution.
• Green crops involve growing specific crops solely to enhance soil quality, then incorporating them back into the soil before flowering to replenish nutrients.
• This practice has been utilized for centuries, with the Romans using lupins for soil improvement.
• Benefits of green crops include carbon absorption, weed suppression, nitrogen fixation, soil structure improvement, and nutrient addition and uptake.
• Examples of green crops for winter include clover, peas, beans, oats, barley, mustard, and fenugreek, while options for summer include lucerne and buckwheat.
• Green crop seed mixes are available from nurseries, or seedlings can be planted directly.
• Preparation involves clearing the bed of weeds and planting or sowing seeds.
• During growth, green crops enrich the soil, but they should be cut back and incorporated into the soil before flowering, typically around six weeks after planting.
• Turning the bed over a few times and repeating the process a week later prepares the bed for planting new crops.