Hi, what do you plant in the garden for improving soil and compost? Is it mustard or is there something better? Thanks.

Hi Brett, green crops are sown in autumn and dug into the soil in August to help improve soil structure and add organic matter to the soil. Some green crops fix nitrogen from the soil (oats, lupin) which goes back into the soil when the plant is dug in, others such as mustard, have special properties to prevent soil insect pests such as nematodes and will give protection to plants for up to three months. Whatever you use, it will benefit the soil and your plants. Just make sure when growing lupin that you don't let them get too big and woody as they will be hard to chop down and take longer to break down in the soil when they become stringy. The best time to chop them down and dig them in is when the start to flower and the stems are soft and green, do this 4-6 weeks before planting vegetables.