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Growing Advice: Which green manure to control eelworm or wireworm in potato crops?
If you're worried about the potential problem of eelworm in your potato bed then sowing green manure after the potato harvest could well help with any potential problem.
It was actually L D Hills, the founder of Garden Organic, who believed that growing a crop of green manure mustard after harvesting potatoes was beneficial as it secreted chemicals that confused the nematodes into growth and early maturity out of season.
As well as eelworm, mustard green manure can also help with any potential wireworm problems too on the same principle of confusing the lifecycle. Either sowing before or after potato crops will help minimise any potential issues.
There are two mustard green manure options:
1. Standard White Mustard Green Manure
This variety is a fast grower and will produce a wealth of foliage, which in turn will increase the volume of organic matter in the soil.
Not entirely winter-hardy if we have a harsh winter. However, that means any severe frost will knock it back and in doing so will create a layer of mulch that the worms will drag down over time.
2. Caliente 'Brown' Mustard Green Manure
Similar lush fast growth to the standard white Mustard green manure.
The major benefit of Caliente Mustard green manure is that it is winter hardy and will tolerate low winter temperatures.
Mustard green manure has the added benefit of having 'biofumigant' properties, meaning Biofumigation is the suppression of soil-borne pests & diseases by the release of naturally occurring gases.
Further information can be found on our products pages:
Whichever Mustard green manure that you chose, you need to bear in mind that they belong to the Brassica family and need to fit into crop rotation plans accordingly. If your veg plot suffers from clubroot then obviously avoid.