[LottyLouis]

I'm new to this allotment milarky and I've been reading up on green manure. I understand how it works and it sounds fab - a rye/vetch winter mix seems to fit the bill. My question is this - when my allotment lies mostly empty over the winter - all beautifully covered in green manure plants - what's stopping the whole thing becoming covered in weeds? I know it's supposed to suppress weeds - but does it? I can't really weed round it. I can't put my feet up all winter...can I?   

[Baldy]

Some green manure grows fast and thick - outperforms the weeds basically - and then generally you have to cut them back and dig 'em in before they flower and set seed... at which point you could classify them as weeds I suppose (the wrong plant in the wrong place at the wrong time...)

I did green manure a couple of years back - can't remember the variety, but it grew well and there were very few (annual) weeds amongst it. I've got phacelia to plant out this year once the general growing season is over.

Pip pip,
Balders

[Ro-Ro]

You do get a few weeds in between, but nothing like what you would get on open soil.

[ptarmigan]

As above, the green manure really cuts the weeds down. Careful what you sow, dome takes more digging than others. Phacelia was best for me, strip when done and that acts as mulch to suppress weeds.

Other things that work are mushroom compost, manure and h.m. Compost.

[Eightball]

rye/vetch is what I have used for the last few years. Works great and the soil is much better for it. Not really had a problem with weeds. It does a good job of suppressing them.

As others have mentioned phacelia is another nice one. I let some go to flower as the bees love it. Even if some of it sets seed its not particularly invasive and easy to deal with.