Two -thirds of our main growing areas are sown with a variety of 'green manure' crops to build fertility before growing the next crop of vegetables. These ‘green manure’ crops include a variety of different clovers, grasses, phacelia and buckwheat and, as organic growers,we rely on these to add fertility and organic matter to our soils.
The top of ’Olantigh Field’ is currently gradually turning purple as the phacelia is coming into flower. The phacelia acts as a ’nurse crop’ for the slower growing clovers that have also been seeded here and will provide organic matter to improve the soil with the added benefit of providing food for bees and other pollinators and looking beautiful!
BUT, in order to benefit from the organic matter and to allow the clover to grow we will need to mow off the phacelia very soon so make the most of it now and look forward to the clover when it’s in flower.
