Erm Nick, this is a green manure which you sow between sowing two different vegetable crops... How can you push the seed into the compost? You broad scatter onto the area you want to sow - though at this time of year all our veggie garden is down to crops and, sadly, if you sow in the autumn where we live it does not do well.

Nick, we grow this as a wildflower, here, and we water heavily before sowing, and sprinkle a little after to push the seeds into the crevices on the surface. If we're expecting windy weather, we might throw on a little sand, too.

Our ground is usually so damp we don't need to water but I can see you would need to TugB - we did try sowing last September but it never came to anything. One way is to incorporate into your crop rotation and just grow the phacelia for a year. I know an organic smallholding near here that does that but we don't have enough land to allow.

cheers. after sowing when should I see the first signs of growth? and should I keep the ground where the seeds have been sown watered?

Could take 2 to 3 weeks depending on the weather. Don't let the ground dry out completely but don't drown either... better slightly too dry than too wet.

thanks for your help