Quick growing green manure to sow now.

[Nicola.P]

Are there any quick growing green manures I can sow now on what will be my legume bed, it will need to be cut and dug in by mid Apr-May?

[WendyC]

This is the most comprehensive website I know and this is their growing guide. Mustard and phacelia look to be your best bet. Why particularly do you want to use a green manure?

Choosing the right Green Manure - Sow Green Manure

[Nicola.P]

Thanks I will take a look. The ground isn't the best and is heavy clay, I have dug a load of weeds out of the bed but until my beans and peas go in it is going to be laying empty so I thought a green manure would stop the weeds coming back and add some goodness back into the soil as well as helping to improve the soil structure. I don't have access to well rotted manure unless I buy it so thought green manure would be a cheaper option.

[Nicola.P]

Phacalia and fenugreek look like my best bet with field beans at the end of the year.

[Alison]

It's not really a good time of year to sow anything direct into the soil as it is cold and wet so I suspect you may struggle in those timescales - doesn't mean it's not worth a try though

[Kristen]

it is going to be laying empty so I thought a green manure would stop the weeds coming back

like Alison I doubt there is time (nor that the seed will germinate well at this time of year).

Cover with cardboard / some sort of weed suppressing membrane?

[Two_Sheds]

Mulch the area: with chopped up weeds if you have nothing else. Pics in FB link below

[Mark Lottie]

get a big bag of fenugreek from the asian shop for a £1 and you'll probably have enough for the whole plot. Grows in 2-3 months but you'll have something covering the ground and building structure/fertility for now