Topic: Any thoughts on my allotment plan?

[JimmyJames]

Hi Everyone,
While im sat as a silent audience on a conference call at work, my mind has wandered to the allotment, and I thought I would share with you my current plan, so that any suggestions might be made before I launch into it!

I plan to have 3 main areas.  One end will house permanent features such as compost bins, asparagus bed, sweetcorn bed, artichokes etc.  The other end will also house permanent features - shed, greenhouse, coldframe, seat, fruit bushes etc.

Im pretty happy with the above (assuming corn can be planted in the same spot each year?), but the main area will be in the middle of the plot.

In the middle I plan to dig 12 beds.  The beds will be 1.5m x 3m (slightly larger than 4' x 8').  I will then pair the beds up with a small path between, and attempt to have a 6 year rotation.  Down the middle will be a wider path.

I hope this makes sense, but the beds will be arranged like this:

11   22
66   33
55   44

Bed 1: Potatoes
Bed 2: Beans and Peas
Bed 3: Brassicas
Bed 4: Roots
Bed 5: Alliums
Bed 6: Green Manure

And rotation like this:

Year 1   123456
Year 2   234561
Year 3   345612
Year 4   456123
Year 5   561234
Year 6   612345


Sorry if this seems overly complicated.  Writing it here is to ask for comments, but also do aid my understanding of what I have planned!

As with all plans, it may well change.  Best get digging!

[asbean]

Sounds good - doesn't sweetcorn go into crop rotation?  We rotate it.
1.5 is quite wide for a bed, think about reaching the middle to plant seedlings and hand weed etc.  Our beds (raised) are not more than 4ft 6ins wide, except for one, and it is more awkward to get to the middle.  Also the paths need to be quite wide (men have big feet and are clumsier than women - sorry blokes, but that's a fact). I've found that 18 ins is a bit on the narrow side, especially if stuff is drooping onto the paths, like potato.  2 feet would be a lot better.
Your rotation plans look admirable.  We have 15 beds in all, all different sizes and lengths, and the rotation is somewhat different, because we started in different areas of the plot - ie as we cleared it we planted.
It's good to have a plan, though, and keep a record.  Beats those boring conference calls, though  ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

[Deb P]

Sounds a similar layout to my beds, make it easy to plan rotation..........are you planning to edge the beds at all? I was wondering about the sizing (in meters), the reason most people choose an 8' x 4' bed size if that is a standard timber length, particularly if recycling pallets! If not then it doesn't matter!

What sort of paths are you planning to have? What you choose depends on how much maintenance you want to do, grass needs mowing clipping and tending, I chose woodchips...soft to kneel on, keeps weeds down and free from the council on our site. One solid path is useful for moving barrows around, concrete or slabs are ideal.

I also plan to use a 6 year rotation, but slightly different from yours, alternating years where I manure the beds with crops the next year that don't require it. I should think as long as you manure heavily each year your corn should be OK in the same spot (others may disagree!), I'm inclined to put it in the same bracket as squash and courgettes, I fit them in after earlier crops have been harvested.

It's good fun planning though! I can see why your mind has wandered.......much more fun than a conference call I should imagine... ;D

[markfield rover]

We found 4 foot was plenty wide enough I would have probs with 4 '6". Take loads of photos! what  about and a few flowers! I rotate
corn and inter plant with lettuce ,exiciting is it not?

[powerspade]

I dont have a bed system but as far aas your rotation its exactly the same as I have been doing this past 7 yrs

[JimmyJames]

Thanks for the quick responses everyone.  I can see a common theme being that 1.5 metres is perhaps a bit too wide.  It is almost 5 feet...

Maybe I will have a rethink on that! I have only dug a couple of the beds so far so I can easily make the rest a bit less wide.  To be honest one of the main reasons I went for 1.5 metres was that I bought a roll of weed suppressing fabric 100m x 1.5m from ebay!

I will keep you all updated with photos as i progess :)

[theamatteurgardener]

I'm so jealous. I've only put myself on the list up here in Newcastle this week. Depending on how you progress i may well use your template  as my own :P

Good luck with it all!

[Tee Gee]

  I can see a common theme being that 1.5 metres is perhaps a bit too wide.  It is almost 5 feet...

I disagree I find ft (1.5m) fits in with recommended plant centres very well.

I find it depends a lot on how tall you are e.g.

The following rules work quite well;

Kneel down. lean forward as if you are weeding, measure the maximum distance at what you can comfortably work without straining, double this measurement and that is the width you should make your beds.

This means you can work from both sides of your beds without walking on them!

The footpaths should be at least the height from your kneecap to the ground and this will ensure your feet are not in one bed when working on the next.

Regarding rotation; this might help!!  http://tinyurl.com/ytwqf9

[cornykev]

6 seems a lot but its your call, most do 3 or 4, I've never used green manure but will grow it this year when beds are going to lay empty. I do   spuds,   Peas/beans,     brassicas and    roots inc onions, I'm still learning so good luck.   ;D ;D ;D

[Jeannine]

You will need to rotate your corn, other than that it sounds good to me if you can reach that far.

We have the permies all together.

The furthest back adjoining the back path is rhubarb,then coming forward we have about 5 rows of soft fruit, then a raspberry fence,then a full lottie width raised asparagus bed, then a full width raised stawberry bed.

Then there is a flat area, which we rotate stuff in before we get to a permanent bean fence.

The rest of this lottie is all raised beds which we rotate,

Then the greenhouses and shed,

XX Jeannine

[cornykev]

Jeannine I was unaware of rotating the sweetcorn I thought it was a non rotation crop that would gap fill on any soil.  ??? ??? ??? ::) ;D ;D ;D

[OliveOil]

Planning? what the heck is that?  I have been planning but it never works out for me. I usually start on the patch with the least weeds and the plants that need to go in most urgently.  Then i learn what has been a disaster - such as onions and panic about all the weeds.

[Simba42]

Your plan sounds very similar to ours.. except our beds are larger. 2x5m.

I like plans and straight lines :) it makes me happy inside.

[OliveOil]

I really should post some photos - allotment chaos at its best i reckon!  I admire you all!