Topic: Planning beds

[Esre]

I'm just finishing up my bed plans for my new plot, I have 2 beds 13ft wide by 8ft 3in long left and I want to put in Beetroot, Parsnips, Sweetcorn, Squash and Courgettes.

I know the Squash, Sweetcorn and Courgettes are okay together but can I also include the roots as I only want 1 row of each (Carrots are in with the alliums) and I could then plant green manure or rest the spare bed for a season instead.

Now I just need to find someone to dig it all over for me...... ;)

Esre

Edit: Can I leave Peas to crop in the same bed every year, I know my Dad leaves his Runners in the same place year after year but would peas be okay as well?

[calendula]

people get hung up about rotation and mixing crops - it really comes down to how you have fed the soil or what the soil is like anyway - from what you say I would think that the roots will be fine next to the corn etc and yes you can grow the same crop in the same place for awhile but then you are risking problems but if none occur then it is ok, just nourish the soil according to what you are going to grow next - one rule of thumb might be potatoes (lots of manure), then brassicas, then roots then legumes - or another might be legumes, brassicas, roots (if you don't grow spuds)

squashes and courgettes like it rich so if you are adding richness keep that patch just for them until it is rotted well in

peas quite like lime or some seaweed

[posie]

Esre I can lend you Ruby the super digging English Springer Spaniel if you'd like, she's fantastic at digging gardens!  >:(

[kt.]

If you feed the ground supplements of what the peas will extract then its fine to leave them. If not: beware of taking the same nutrients out of the same place from the same crop year in year out. The area will also become less disease resistant for the peas as you will be removing some of the natural defences.

[Esre]

Thanks for the offer Posie, let me know when she is free, my dog is useless at digging up anything but the kitchen floor :(

I asked my dad and his sage advice was (this is with about 65+ years of experience!) I don't bother with that I just put it in where there is a space...

I'm going to put the roots with the corn and I will rotate the peas and beans, if nothing else they will do the soil a bit of good.

Thanks for the help guys :)

Esre