Ideal seed mix for a grow-and-mow green manure patch

Hello all,

I am sure that I have posted something like this before, but I have a neighbor (not the retired mechanic) who is interested in growing a patch—maybe a long row or two—of an idealized mixture of green manure plants.  The idea would be to sow the mixture, let it grow, then mow down with some type of grass collector or similar.  The mulch gets deposited wherever desired and the row then regrows.

Aside from the row being entirely self-growing, self-propagating, self-reproducing, etc. there are no real ground rules.  Kudzu is ruled out, but that’s about all.

Some thoughts include hairy vetch, crimson clover, Dutch White Clover, alyssum, Comfrey, oats, rye, sourgum, corn.  The list goes on and on.  Add or delete anything you think appropriate.

The bed should produce either year-round or at least 3 seasons.  I live in Southern Illinois, 6B/7A.  Early spring is wet, late spring is beautiful, summer is terribly hot, dry and humid.  Fall is cool and dry.  Winter is cool and wet.  40” rain/yr.

Note:  I don’t rule out 2-3 beds for different seasons.


So what do y’all think?


Eric

And for reference, he plans to mix all of these greens with fallen tree leaves—mostly oaks—which fall copiously in Autumn.  Together they would be spread as a sort of fertilizer mulch on garden beds, around trees, etc.

I like to recommend native grasses like this kit.

This is a list from a Prairie starter Kit:

SAND DROPSEED
   SAND LOVEGRASS
   BLUE GRAMA
   GREEN SPRANGLETOP
   LITTLE BLUESTEM
   TALL DROPSEED
   BIG BLUESTEM
   PRAIRIE WILDRYE
   VIRGINIA WILDRYE
   SIDEOATS GRAMA
   INDIANGRASS
   SWITCHGRASS
   BUFFALOGRASS
   EASTERN GAMAGRASS

And I like this mix:

1. California poppy
2. White sweet alyssum
3. Red clover (Trifolium pratense)
4. Daikon radish

https://permies.com/t/132551/permaculture/Making-seed-mix-cleared-disturbed

Hi Anne,

All of those look like amazing options for pioneers on a new plot and sending down roots to break up hard soil—especially the daikon radish.  But I guess all that grass will produce a lot of green matter to be mowed down and collected.

BTW, how will the Big Bluestem stand up to regular mowing?

I am thinking about something that had a combination of nitrogen fixers, but maybe something like that hairy vetch or crimson clover will do the trick.

And as I mentioned, I completely get the idea of a spring bed, a summer bed and a fall bed.




Eric

For your zone, I would pick cereal rye and clover.  If you had longer growing seasons sunn hemp and sorgham sudan grass.  If you are looking at perenials don't forget alfalfa.  

Green cover seeds has an over winter and a cool season soil builder mix he may want to check out.  Good diversity, low cost.  keeps roots in the ground from fall to spring.  overwinter mix