Description

Italian ryegrass is a nitrogen lifter, taking up nitrogen from the soil which is then put back when the green manure is dug in.

It should be sown between March and October and is suitable for most soil types.  Italian ryegrass helps to protect soil from erosion and is a useful overwintering green manure.  It should be dug into the soil before flowering.

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.