What problems can be expected from green manure?

To avoid using chemical fertilizers and various additives, gardeners resort to planting green manure crops in their plots. This method helps improve the health of the soil, improve its structure, and replenish minerals. These groundcover plants are also called intermediate crops because they are planted before sowing the main crop, preparing the soil for it. However, using green manure crops has its own nuances that must be understood, otherwise they can harm the harvest.

Remove before flowering

Using such groundcover plants has many advantages: they loosen the soil with their root system, enrich it with minerals, and prevent the topsoil from drying out. They also reduce acidity, bind loose soil, displace weeds, and prevent fungal diseases.

However, green manure crops must be harvested promptly, preventing flowering. Missing this period can cause damage to the plot:

• the seeds are scattered and, even after surviving the winter, survive, growing densely, and filling the entire garden;
• Overripe plants have tough stems that decompose poorly in the soil.

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As a result, instead of loose, mineral-rich soil, you end up with root-clogged soil unsuitable for growing garden crops. This is the main nuance to consider when using this method on your property. Another point: cut and dried green manure plants don't need to be buried; simply water them with the EM solution.

Sow in autumn or spring?

An important point about using green manure is that it should be sown after the garden is harvested in the fall, or in the spring if the main crops are not planned for the selected plot this year. This is for a reason: the plants need time to grow, they need to be mown, dried, and incorporated into the soil. They also need time for soil microorganisms to digest them.

This way, they will truly benefit the garden, fertilizing and loosening the soil. Some gardeners sow green manure plants in the spring; as they grow, they draw valuable carbon dioxide and nutrients from the soil. The subsequent planting crops receive less nutrition, which negatively impacts the harvest. Furthermore, they can become carriers of diseases, such as:

• mustard can harbor flea beetles;
• wireworms feel good in rye;
• Nematodes breed in rapeseed crops.

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Do not plant too densely

Some gardeners think the denser the planting, the better. This isn't true. This dense vegetation, covering the soil like a dense carpet, releases a lot of nitrogen. Vegetable crops planted after them begin to push out their green mass, to the detriment of flowering and fruit. Nitrogen is only good for growing herbs like parsley, cilantro, basil, and dill. For tomatoes, cucumbers, and eggplant, it's an unnecessary and dangerous luxury, reducing yields.

Plant such plants sparingly, and only in cases where the soil is truly depleted, you don’t want to use chemical fertilizers, and there is a lack of natural organic matter (hay, fallen leaves, straw).

To summarize, we'll clarify the following points: green manure crops are beneficial when planted correctly, harvested promptly, and when plant residues are dug and incorporated into the soil. Then they will benefit the garden and increase the yield of vegetable crops.