Cover Crops, Green Manure

COVER CROPS - GREEN MANURE

Cover crops are grown to protect and/or enrich the soil. When turned into the soil, a cover crop may also be called a green manure. Cover cropping is an important part of a vegetable crop rotation plan in order to biologically maintain soil health and manage insect, weed, and disease pressure. Cover crops offer many benefits, but not all at once, nor from one species. You may want to protect the soil from intense erosion, alleviate compaction, suppress weeds, build organic matter, add Nitrogen or mop-up available nutrients after the growing season. Below you will find plants that can serve these need.

The Plants listed below are suitable for growing in a temperate climate including all over Europe and the British Isles.

Alfalfa/Lucerne - Medicago sativa

Alfalfa requires deep, well-drained soil with a pH near neutral for good growth. It is a long-lived perennial that is probably not worth the expense of establishment in a short-term rotation; it makes more sense if also used for production of forage for 2 or 3 years. Alfalfa fixes large amounts of Nitrogen that can meet most or all of the needs of a subsequent vegetable crop if allowed to regrow after cutting before it is turned in. Seed in early spring at 4.5 to 7 kg/acre.

Sowing Rate per Acre (4000m2) 4.5 to 7kg

Sowing rate per m2 = 2.5g

150g - 60m2 of cover - €4.5

450g - 200m2 of cover - €9.5

1kg - 400m2 of cover - €21

5kg - 2000m2 of cover - €69

10kg - 5000m2 of cover - €98

Price includes delivery*

White Clover - Trifolium repens

White clover is a nitrogen fixing low-growing perennial, tolerant of shade and slightly acid soil. White clover is suited for use in walkways or alleys. Once established, it provides long-term cover, either alone or with a low-growing turf grass. It can be used in high traffic areas to minimize soil compaction and improve soil health. White clover tolerates wet conditions. Sow in early spring, or seed in early autumn.

Sowing Rate per Acre (4000m2) - 1.3 to 5 kg/acre if drilled.
Sowing Rate per Acre (4000m2) - 2.3 to 6 kg/acre if broadcast.

Sowing rate per m2 = 1.5g

100g - 66m2 of cover - €4.5

200g - 133m2 of cover - €9

300g - 200m2 of cover - €13

Price includes delivery*

Cereal Rye - Secale cereale

Cereal rye is commonly sown after crops are harvested in the fall. It is very hardy, an efficient Nitrogen scavenger and adapted to a wide range of conditions. The latest-sown cover crop, it produces a lot of biomass if allowed to grow into late spring. This adds organic matter to the soil but can be difficult to incorporate prior to crop planting. It can be left as narrow strips to serve as windbreaks between blocks of crops in the spring. Sow from late summer to mid-October in most areas.

Sowing Rate per Acre (4000m2) 27 to 55kg if drilled
Sowing Rate per Acre (4000m2) 40 to 70kg if broadcast

Sowing rate per m2 = 15g

225g - 15m2 of cover - €5.5

450g - 30m2 of cover - €7.5

1kg - 66m2 of cover - €12.5

2kg - 133m2 of cover - €22

10kg - 666m2 of cover - €44

29.5kg - 2000m2 of cover - €50

Price includes delivery*

Einkorn - Triticum monococcum

This Einkorn is biologically farmed on the foothills of the central balkan mountains. The seed is fresh from this year harvested in July 2016. The grains are grown organically. The seeds come with husks attached. The seed is grown biologically without the use of pesticides, herbicides etc and there are seeds from other plants growing with the Einkorn harvested along with the seed.

Sowing Rate per Acre (4050m2) 27 to 55kg if drilled
Sowing Rate per Acre (4050m2) 40 - 45 kg if broadcast

Sowing rate per m2 = 10g

225g - 22m2 of cover - €5.5

450g - 45m2 of cover - €7.5

1kg - 100m2 of cover - €18

2kg - 200m2 of cover - €30

5kg - 500m2 of cover - €50

Price includes delivery*

Sainfoin - Onobrychis viciifolia

An ancient legume often overlooked by growers, Sainfoin is an excellent bee plant and non-bloat causing legume which can be used as hay, or grazed in pastures alone or in a grass-legume mix.
The plants deep roots can assist with relieving compaction. The plants prefer neutral to akalkine soils and well drained soils.

Sowing Rate per Hectare (10000 m2) 80 - 120 kg

Sowing rate per m2 = 10 g

200 g - 20 m2 of cover - €9

500g - 50 m2 of cover - €13

1kg - 100 m2 of cover - €18

2kg - 200 m2 of cover - €30

5kg - 500 m2 of cover - €50

Price includes delivery*

Send an email to [email protected] with your order

Payment can be made via Paypal or Bank transfer. We will dispatch the seed within 2 working days after payment is received.

We use standard international courier service, recorded delivery. Estimated delivery time is 7-14 days.

*Price includes delivery to Mainland Europe and EU member states. Certain places may have higher delivery costs in which case these will be charged accordingly.