LABLAB ‘Rongai’ Green Manure Seeds
Botanical Name: Lablab purpureus
Lablab ‘Rongai’ is a vigorous, warm-season green manure crop that boosts soil fertility while protecting your soil from heat, erosion, and weed competition. This climbing legume is known for its rapid biomass production and nitrogen-fixing abilities, making it a smart choice for gardeners, orchardists, and regenerative growers in spring and summer. With a strong root system and dense canopy, Lablab improves soil structure, retains moisture, and feeds microbial life—perfect between rotations or during summer fallows.
- Fixes atmospheric nitrogen and builds organic matter for long-term soil health.
- Fast-growing climbing legume that forms a dense, weed-suppressing cover.
- Ideal for orchards, garden beds, trellised spaces, and broadacre use.
- Flowers late, allowing extended green growth before incorporation.
- Suitable for use in warm and subtropical climates; frost sensitive.
Plant Details:
- Plant Type: Warm-season annual legume
- Growth Habit: Climbing vine, up to 1.5–2 m with support
Sowing Information:
- Sow When:
Temperate: Spring–early summer
Subtropical: Spring–early summer
Tropical: Spring–early summer
Arid: Spring–early summer with rainfall or irrigation - Germination: 7–14 days (20–30°C soil temperature)
- Depth: Sow 3–4 cm deep
- Position: Full sun
- Sow Where: Direct sow into prepared, well-drained soil
- Soil Type: Adapts to a wide range; prefers fertile, well-drained soils
- Spacing: Broadcast or sow in rows 50–75 cm apart
Management:
- Water regularly during early growth; becomes drought-tolerant once established.
- Cut back or incorporate before flowering for maximum nitrogen return.
- Use mulch to retain soil moisture and suppress early weeds.
Harvest and Incorporation:
Chop and dig into the soil 8–12 weeks after sowing, ideally before flowering. In no-dig systems, cut back and leave on the surface as mulch.
When to Sow Lablab ‘Rongai’ in Your Climate
| Climate Zone | Best Planting Time | Tips |
|---|---|---|
| Temperate | Spring–early summer | Sow after frost; ensure soil temperature is above 20°C |
| Subtropical | Spring–early summer | Water during dry spells and provide climbing support if needed |
| Tropical | Spring–early summer | Avoid peak wet season; choose well-drained sites |
| Cool | Late spring–early summer | Wait until all frost risk is gone and soil is warm |
| Arid | Spring–early summer | Sow after last frost; mulch well and irrigate regularly |
Quick Growing Guide
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Germination Time | 7–14 days |
| Sowing Depth | 3–4 cm |
| Watering | Keep moist during germination; drought-tolerant later |
| Growth Period | 8–12 weeks |
| Incorporation | Cut and dig in before flowering for best green manure results |