Phacelia is an excellent all-rounder to help improve the condition of any soils. It will establish quickly making it great for suppressing weeds and stopping nutrients leaching from soil between harvests in warmer months. What's more, the beautiful purple flowers are a winner with beneficial insects.

Growing calendar
Sow outdoors	Mar - mid Sep
Cut down/dig in	Apr - Oct

How to grow phacelia

Sow phacelia seed by scattering 1g of seed per square metre on the surface of your soil then rake and tamp down. You can also sow phacelia in rows 15cm apart.

Incorporating phacelia into your soil

Cut down or mow phacelia before digging it in before the plants set seed and at least four weeks before you need the soil for your next crop.

You can leave phacelia overwinter after the frost kills the leaves, however a severe frost may kill the plants too.

Tips on growing phacelia

If you are following a crop rotation system, phacelia can be grown within any of the rotations, and suits most soils.

Growing notes
Difficulty	Easy
Average growing period	4-12 weeks, may overwinter
Equipment needed	None
Germination time	7-12 days
Average plant size	Up to 30cm tall, 20cm wide
Seed saving notes	Annual, self-pollinating
Latin name	Phacelia tanacetifolia