Green manure?

[Mrscrob]

I've been reading about green manure and was thinking of sowing something along that lines in a bed that I've just double dug, but not using until next year. What's the views/opinions/advice on that (if any) and what to use? Also I was planning on planting potatoes in that bed and so would that be okay for them?

Thanks, Christine

[Capsid]

Why aren't you able to use it this year? You will waste a whole growing season. It's not too late to sow many veg.

[Two_Sheds]

As Capsid says - get a crop in there. Pumpkins will cover a lot of ground and suppress weeds too.

as to green manures, I've tried most of them, and wasn't impressed, esp with Grazing Rye ... very hard to dig out, very slow growing.

My favourite now is Limnanthes (poached egg plant) - I use it as a winter ground cover and weed suppressant, and compost it in spring/summer

[Mrscrob]

Thanks Capsid and Two Sheds. I've covered the ground over with black plastic sheeting for the time being - didn't want to make any rash decisions! I may well look into pumpkins - never even gave it a thought before. Would it then be okay to plant potatoes in the same ground next year?