Green Manure

Green Manure

Green manures are slightly more specific than cover crops. Green manures are usually legumes, mustard and grasses that are grown specifically to increase soil organic matter and nutrients. Green manures help add nitrogen and other nutrients back into the soil.

The Secada Forage Pea is a relatively new forage pea that has a wide range of uses such as forage, green manure, weed suppression and more! This forage pea is highly palatable, self-climbing and with high dry matter yields. A fast growing, cool-season annual legume, the Secada Forage Pea performs very well during the fall, winter and spring in Southern states. In more northern climes, an early spring plant will give high dry matter yields of excellent forage. Uses: Chicken Forage, Deer Attractant, Forage, Green Manure, Nitrogen Fixation, No Till, Organic Matter (Biomass), Weed Suppression

The Pearl Millet is a very tall grass that can reach to be 15 feet tall that is used as a multiple cut forage grass and green manure. This grass is high in protein, digestible and free of prussic acid. The Pearl Millet is perfect used for hay, pasture and silage for feeding cattle, horses, goats and other livestock. The Pearl Millet is also a very good green manure that is well adapted to low soil moisture, low fertility and high temperatures. Uses: Erosion Control, Green Manure, Nitrogen Scavenger, No Till, Organic Matter (Biomass), Weed Suppression

The Ladino Clover is the most popular white clover in the USA as it is two to four times as large as the common white clover! This clover has a high nutritive value and is palatability, making it a popular choice in pasture mixtures. It is not deep rooted, and will not tolerate much drought. Ryegrass and orchardgrass work well with ladino clover in mixtures. Broadcast at 25 lbs. per acre. Seed comes inoculated. Uses: Bees & Beneficial Insects, Chicken Forage, Compaction Control, Deer Attractant, Erosion Control, Forage, Green Manure, Nitrogen Fixation, No Till, Weed Suppression

When sown late summer, the Hairy Vetch spring regrowth is vigorous and nitrogen-producing, for tilling in before planting spring garden crops. You can sow with or without grain, grass or field peas! The typical nitrogen produced of this legume is 100 lbs. per acre. The Hairy Vetch has rapid growth that makes it a good weed suppressant. Uses: Bees & Beneficial Insects, Chicken Forage, Deer Attractant, Erosion Control, Forage, Green Manure, Nitrogen Fixation, No Till, Weed Suppression

The Texas Cream is a heavy yielding Southern cowpea that is great for fresh shelling. This variety is very similarly to 'Sadandy' but the cowpeas are slightly larger. These bush-type plants are prolific and thrive in hotter, Southern weather. Texas Cream is a "cream pea" type variety, they are generally used at the fresh shelling stage. Treated Seed.

The Mandan Wildrye Grass is a fast growing, cool-season, perennial bunch-grass that is a great choice for erosion control. It can be planted early or late fall, but for best results, Mandan Wildrye should be planted in the spring. This hardy grass performs well on most soil types. The Mandan Wildrye produces and brown seed head and can grow up to 4 feet! Uses: Erosion Control, Forage, Green Manure, Nitrogen Scavenger, No Till, Organic Matter (Biomass), Weed suppression

The Canada Wildrye is a cool-season bunchgrass grain variety that can be found throughout Canada and the U.S. except in the southeastern states. It is typically found in prairies, open woods, fields and disturbed sites. This grain tends to be short-lived but provides quick stabilization for erosion control seedings, and it makes a good, early successional component of prairie mixtures. The Canada Wildrye provides quality forage for livestock and wildlife.

The Elbon Rye is a grain that is the best choice for fast, cool-season germination that prevents erosion and builds organic matter in the soil! Plant this variety early to late fall; in mild climates fall through early spring. This grain captures soil nutrients in the fall to release in spring when worked into the soil. The Elbon Rye can reach up to 5 feet! Cereal Rye (Secale cereale L.): Cool season, grass, Annual or perennial, Upright plant growth, Crude protein: straw 4%, grain 14%, C:N ratio: 40-48, Self pollinator (wind) Uses: Erosion Control, Green Manure, Nitrogen Scavenger, No Till, Organic Matter (Biomass), Weed suppression

The Big Boy Purplehull is a high yielding, popular Southern cowpea that is great for home gardens. Big Boy Purplehull is a long podded variety with 13-16 peas per pod that are light tan in color and oblong shape. This is a good garden variety and is very prolific. If you are using for Nitrogen fixation we highly recommend using a cowpea inoculant. Try with cowpea inoculant for maximum Nitrogen fixation.

The Frontier Grazer Rye is a grain that makes a great cover crop to prevent erosion and build up organic matter in the soil! Plant this variety early to late fall; in mild climates fall through early spring. The best choice for fast, cool-season germination. The Frontier Grazer Rye captures soil nutrients in the fall to release in spring when worked into the soil. Uses: Erosion Control, Green Manure, Nitrogen Scavenger, No Till, Organic Matter (Biomass), Weed Suppression<

The Sweet Clover is a legume that is exceptional for not only attracting honey bees to the garden, but also creating green manure! This clover can grow nearly anywhere under most conditions. The Sweet Clover is our favorite clover because it is more versatile than other clovers at nitrogen fixating, erosion control and attracting beneficial insects. This variety is slow to establish the first year but comes on fast the following year and can produce up to 170 lb. of nitrogen per acre. The Sweet Clover comes OMRI Pre-inoculated. Uses: Bees & Beneficial Insects, Chicken Forage, Compaction Control, Deer Attractant, Erosion Control, Forage, Green Manure, Nitrogen Fixation, No Till, Weed Suppression

The Common Alfalfa is a somewhat winter hardy perennial legume, but it grows more quickly than other regular alfalfa varieties. As an annual green manure, this cool-season "Summer" alfalfa can produce up to 10 tons of organic matter per acre. Its long taproots break up compacted soil and bring up subsurface minerals. High nitrogen fixation and great bee forage. Alfalfa is basically good at everything, as it great for nitrogen fixation and bee forage! Just look at all it's uses below! Alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.): Cool season, broadleaf, Perennial, Legume (N-fixation), Upright plant growth, Crude protein: hay or silage 14-22% Uses: Bees & Beneficial Insects, Chicken Forage, Compaction Control, Deer Attractant, Erosion Control, Forage, Green Manure, Nitrogen Fixation, Nitrogen Scavenger, No Till, Organic Matter (Biomass), Weed Suppression

The Jerry Oats is a grain that is a quick growing green manure that will kill off any winter weeds and will hold soil with a mat of vegetation! This high yielding oat can produce over 100 bushels per acre. This grain variety is great for garlic beds and other vegetables. The oats stay green into November and form a mulched bed for spring planting. The Jerry Oats are also great for underseeding with a legume. Uses: Erosion prevention, Green Manure, Nitrogen Scavenger, No Till, Organic Matter, Weed Suppresion

The Buffalo Grass is a warm-season grass that is the predominant component of the shortgrass prairies of the Great Plains. Once established, it is extremely drought tolerant and tough. It can be used as a xeriscape lawn grass for water conservation, and it is a common component in range mixtures. White Tailed Deer, Bison and Prairie Dogs utilize it for forage, and it is a larval host for the Green Skipper. Plants are stoloniferous and can invade flower beds if an edging or barrier is not used.

The Winter Rye is a tall grain cover crop that can reach up to be 5 feet tall and prevents erosion and builds organic matter in the soil. This grain can be planted early to late fall and in mild climates, fall through early spring. This grain is the best choice for fast, cool-season germination. The Winter Rye captures soil nutrients in the fall to release in spring when worked into the soil. Uses: Erosion Control, Green Manure, Nitrogen Scavenger, No Till, Organic Matter (Biomass), Weed suppression

The Elite cowpea is a bush type cream southern pea that produces heavy yields of 7" pods with cowpeas that are delicious and easy to shell. This cowpea is one of the most productive of all the cream peas. If you are using for Nitrogen fixation we highly recommend using a cowpea inoculant. Try with cowpea inoculant for maximum Nitrogen fixation.

The Packer Forage Pea, or Canadian field pea, is a cool-season legume that is used for cover crops, wildlife and winter grazing! This annual legume has good nitrogen-fixing capabilities. The Packer Forage Pea is a low-growing, viny legume which has been shown to fix over 200 pounds of nitrogen per acre per year. Uses: Chicken Forage, Deer Attractant, Forage, Green Manure, Nitrogen Fixation, No Till, Organic Matter (Biomass), Weed Suppression

The Knuckle Purple Hull is a bush type cowpea producing heavy yields of purple pods. Cowpeas in general are great for drying and canning. This variety tends to stay off the ground and cluster making for easy picking. This cowpea is referred to as a "Knuckle Hull" because of the big, plump cowpeas. Try with cowpea inoculant for maximum Nitrogen fixation.