Description

This very deep-rooting hardy green manure is a nitrogen fixer and has vigorous roots that draw up minerals from below the surface of the soil.  It performs well in drought-prone areas.

Alfalfa should be sown between April and July and dug into the soil when still green.  Sow before nitrogen-hungry crops such as brassicas.

To dig in - chop up the green manure with a spade and turn it into the top 10-12cm of soil. Alternatively, cut down and leave the clippings on the soil and cover to exclude the light using cardboard and grass cuttings or a biodegradable ground cover.  Leave for at least 6 weeks, by which point the green manure will have broken down and been incorporated into the soil by earth worms.