Free Fertility for No Dig Beds: Growing Mustard as a Green Manure скачать в хорошем качестве

Free Fertility for No Dig Beds: Growing Mustard as a Green Manure

Mustard (Sinapis alba) is one of the quickest and easiest cover crops to sow in autumn, giving you free fertility for your no dig garden. In just 10–18 days, these small seeds create a fast-growing cover of leaves, stems, and roots that add organic matter and improve soil health. It’s free energy from the sun, captured through photosynthesis at the back end of the year. Here in zone 8, you can still sow mustard until around the 10th of October for worthwhile growth. See my 2026 calendar of sowing dates for all vegetables and one or two cover crops like this. These plants grow strongly while the soil still holds warmth, before being killed off naturally by frost at around –3 to –4 °C (mid-20s °F). That’s the beauty of mustard as a short-term cover crop: no need to worry about crop rotation, no risk of seeding at this time of year, and no messy digging in. The organic matter remains both above ground as straw-like residue, and below ground through roots, where worms and microbes incorporate it over winter and spring. I first grew white mustard back in 1983 in my first market garden and was amazed at how fast it grows. 🌱 Key takeaways: Sow mustard in autumn for quick soil cover and fertility. Adds organic matter through roots, stems, and leaves. Killed by frost, leaving an easy finish and no risk of reseeding. Sow up to around 10th October in zone 8 for best results. Works beautifully in no dig beds without disturbing soil life. Worms and microbes incorporate residues naturally over winter. You’ll find all these sowing dates (including garlic, the next major one into October) in my 2026 Calendar of Sowing Dates: https://shop.charlesdowding.co.uk/pro... 🎥 Filmed by Nicola Smith You can join this channel by paying a monthly fee, to support our work with helping gardeners grow better, and to receive monthly videos made only for members:    / @charlesdowding1nodig   #nodig #charlesdowding #covercrops #mustard #soilhealth #greenmanure #autumngarden #soilfertility #growyourown