What crops would cover ground quickly at an allotment?

[NewShoesTwoShoes]

We have had our allotment for a few months. It is our second plot but first since having children. We don't have as much time to spend there as we would like, so I'm looking for ideas of crops we could still plant now that might cover some bare ground.

So far we have potatoes and onions growing. There are also some fruit patches.

Would green manures be a solution? Oriental greens?

If we can't get the plot tidy (it has become overgrown) we've been told by the Allotment Society that we will have to leave. I would like to give it one more try before giving up!

[Frontier]

Potatoes are the traditional cleaning crop

I've never got on with green manures, perhaps someone will tell me where I'm going wrong, but it's always seemed like planting weeds, which you have to deal with later to me.

Strawberries?

[silkknickers]

I grew a green manure last year. I think it was successful. it provided ground cover, but I was a little late in digging it in, so that the soil was still a bit 'stringy' come March! My crops now are doing great though, so I guess it was worth it.

maybe lettuces? they grow quickly. keep the slugs off them, though.

[dreamingofsun]

if you are struggling with the amount of land i would put down weed membrane and plant things through it. i have the opposite problem and strawberries seem to take up a lot of rooms - so maybe plant a load of them through membrane?

[MrsJohnDeere]

Courgettes. Buy some plants (garden centres are selling them off now or at a plant sale) rather than seeds.

[Takver]

I'd definitely go for a green manure. Do you have any way of borrowing a rotavator? At this point in the year I'd rotavate well, then broadcast Phacelia or possibly buckwheat. Before it flowers turn it in (even better if you can borrow the rotavator again!) then in late Sept/early Oct sow a mixture of winter grazing rye (not ryegrass) & vetch. Cut that down next spring & turn in ideally around but in any event at least 3 weeks before planting into that bit of ground & you'll be well set for next season.

I'd also keep a small easily manageable patch clear for summer / autumn sowing crops (started in modules so you're not trying to get seeds started on rough soil). When I'd turned in the phacelia, I'd also put in a good number of autumn sown broad beans or culinary field beans (probably started in large modules/small pots to avoid mice). Of course you can use field beans as a green manure, but I find it expensive in seed to cover any area.

Cotswold Seeds sell green manures by the kg and are good value IME.

Frontier - what green manures have you used? Maybe it's just finding the right one for your soil? You do also need to make sure to turn in before they set seed of course.

[NewShoesTwoShoes]

Thanks for all the ideas!

We had courgette seedlings ready to go, but snails got them :-( Will try garden centre, though.

I will look at green manures too. Thanks again!

[ProfYaffle]

Runner beans? Pumpkins? Radishes as a catch crop?

[ProfYaffle]

Oh, and keep an eye out at car boot sales for plants, there are quite a lot of allotment excess seedlings at this time of year. last weekend I got a tray of about 20 strawberry plants for £4!

[Toadsrevisited]

Squash or courgette- just dig a hole and fill with horse manure and one plant. Will cover a large space ASAP. Crown prove is good.

[shivermekimbers]

Do you want a crop you can eat or just ground cover? If the latter, clover might be good. Covers bare soil and locks in nutrients so you'll have some good rich soil for next year.

Salad greens and spinach grow fast. Or courgettes/cucumbers like others have said will spread and cover the ground well.

[Toadsrevisited]

Prove?! Crown prince