Classic Biointensive Mix

$17.80

A mix of wheat, rye, vetch and tic (faba) beans. The mix that John Jeavons of Biointensive (Ecology Action) fame said gave the fastest soil building results.

 

 

 

Description

Weight: approx. 1kg – enough to plant 80-100 sq. m or 10 x 10m long 1m wide beds

Description: John Jeavons of Biointensive (Ecology Action) fame spent years trialing various mixes of compost crops to see which combination built soil the fastest. This is the mix he said that gave the fastest soil building results. It is a Biointensive classic which Kōanga used to sell many years ago but then vetch became unavailable in NZ. It’s back and so is this collection. A mix of grains and legumes creates a great soil building synergy.

Planting Instructions: This pack of seeds is enough to plant 200 sq. m of garden bed (20 x 10 sq. m beds) or area of ground. Be wary of over planting as each plant needs space to grow or they tend to lodge or fall over when planted too close as they get weak stems. Plant early Spring or early Autumn. Prepare your bed well, then mix your seed well, and scatter sow the wheat, rye, and vetch over the entire area, and cover with 70% shade cloth until the growing tips come up through the cloth. Lift carefully then replace for a few more days. Plant your Faba ( these are Tic beans, very edible type of Broad bean.. they do cross with broad beans though) beans into a seed tray. Once the cover comes off transplant your Faba beans, when the tips show green, into the established wheat, rye and vetch in two rows (on 1/4 way marks on the bed) at 30 cm spacings in the row. Be sure to only plant as many of the Faba beans as you need at a time. 1 x 10 m long bed will need 62 Faba beans. Keep unused seed in a mouse-proof container in a dark dry cool place.