The rule of thumb in the hobby gardening sector says that a green manure should be sown on a vegetable bed
whenever there is a break in the cultivation of over six weeks is created. Green manure protects the topsoil because it provides the soil with the necessary shade and also prevents the soil from becoming blocked up, which can be caused by heavy downpours.Loosening of the soil through green manure
Green manure causes the soil to be penetrated by deep roots and is loosened accordingly. Even after mowing, the green manure is still effective for the soil, because the cut can be mulched and thus permanently supply the soil with important humus. Around late summer, the harvested beds are sown with a winter green manure.
Green manure stores nutrients
In addition to the advantages of green manure already mentioned, this also means that, as a fast-growing plant, it absorbs the soluble nutrients in the soil and via the stores winter in the ground. The nutrients cannot be washed out and offer the new vegetable plants good growing conditions again in the spring.
The green manure must be worked into the soil no later than three weeks before planting the vegetables.