Topic: Allotment Plan

[thegreatgardener]

posie few more questions
1. do the veg have be group as listed in your chart
2. In your diagram are stawberries mixed planted with the rhubarb or separate.
 

[taurus]

Tee Gee, many thanks for your help. Will measure my lotti and see how it compares.  Have printed off your layout as I found it nice and easy to understand and it will give me something to go by.  
We seem to buck the trend in Swindon to the rest of the country.  We don't seem able to rent the plots out and have already lost some sites to builders over the last 2 years.  Its very hard work as we seem to be on pure clay here.
My best crops this year were all grown in raised beds and will be making more this Winter, ready for the spring,  Many thanks for all the great advice. Taurus

[posie]

posie few more questions
1. do the veg have be group as listed in your chart
2. In your diagram are stawberries mixed planted with the rhubarb or separate.
 

1.  No, not at all.  I've just used this from the template from last growing season, i.e. just rotated it to shift the brassicas in case of club root.

2.  Rhubarb and strawberries are mixed together, not really bothered where they go to be honest.

One thing I would like is some room to companion plant where possible.

Thanks again.

[trinity]

Thanks for posting that plan Tee Gee it is really helpfull ;D.
 As this is my first year I was just going to plant in groups and then start working out rotation next year when I knew how much space I would need for each crop (about! I know we all eat different things ;)) as I am still trying to work out when an wear should sow things. Not to mention manure and lime an such  :-[
But as you have put on a nice basic plan I now feel maby I may be able to have a propper plan as I have a starting point ;D
Could you at all possible post another plan  or direckt me to one on your web site for a second plot as I have two 10 pole plots to work out my crop rotation for. it would be much appreciated as I cannot see the plan very well on the photograph (and I need some thing more basic :-[)
sorry for hi jacking your thread posie. 

[posie]

Not hijacking at all - it's all relevant to the topic at the end of the day!  ;D

[ceres]

And while you're at it Tee Gee ;), could you possibly explain how you arrive at your plant spacings please?  For instance, you get 92 brassicas in a bed 1.5m x 8.95m?  I usually plant just a little closer than the packet recommends, for brassicas 45cm x 45cm to 75cm x 75cm.  How close are you planting?  I need to get more out of my space but how close can you go before yield is affected?

[Tee Gee]

Could you at all possible post another plan  or direckt me to one on your web site for a second plot

Both plots are actually on that A4 page..........look on top line for division.

How close are you planting?

As you can see my beds are 1.5m wide and I put in 4  brassica plants thus;

150mm x 400 x 400 x 400 x 150mm and roughly 400mm between rows.

If you both send me your e-mails I will send you a copy / attachment of my 2008 draft plan, i.e. the one I do before I fill in the varieties. Then you can put your own varieties in as necessary.

Because the bed sizes and the number of rows & plants are on it you should be able to work out my spacings from these.

BTW I don't bother measuring as much as I once did.

Basically all I do is; if I plan on putting twenty rows of something in a bed, I get twenty canes and set them out roughly at the same spacings until I fill the bed.

OK I might have to move them an inch so this way and that but in the end I get them all in.

You could be more scientific and physcally measure them out.

A useful measure I have is; my boot is 12" long and my rake head is 14" wide so with these two measuring instruments I get by.

The way I look at it is......I don't think the plants mind if its neighbour is an inch or two closer than it should be  ::)

[cornykev]

The thing I've learnt over the four years I've been growing is that everyones spacing is different, I plant closer because I like to harvest when the brassicas are a bit smaller than perfect, I take out the caulis when their small because I think they taste better, but everyone to their own.  ;D ;D ;D

[star]

I do similar CK, plant close and pull every alternate one while they are small, so the ones left can grow bigger, if they get chance, before I harvest them ;D

[manicscousers]

that's the way we do it, too star..plus we do staggered spacing so's we get more in  ;D

[thifasmom]

that's the way we do it, too star..plus we do staggered spacing so's we get more in  ;D

ditto

[Hyacinth]

and me

[posie]

Thanks for the email Teegee - very informative.

Thegreatgardener - Have you had a chance to look at anything please, looking forward to any ideas you can offer  :)

[thegreatgardener]

posie I am working on it but have been sick with cold last few days.
Do have one more question for you. Would you like me to include harvest estimates for each bed.
Do happen to know what varieties you to plant.
Will you be using side retained raise beds, sloped raised beds, and how wide would like the paths.

[taurus]

As I thought Tee Gee 1 plot 60 x 19 and 2nd 60 x 18 feet.   The new plot I've just taken on is the full 60x30.  Complete with apple tree( in need of a good pruning any advice please) Some goosebury bushes.  And a compost heap the size of everest.
Should help with the waist line sorting that out.  Hopefully there should be some good stuff underneath the top layer. The council have put in 2 new water tanks and are in the process of repairing the track.   There also going to remeasure all plots, mark with posts and rotovate  to attract new people.  Only 40% of plots in use. If you're in Swindon and want a plot ring Emma (allotments officer)
Off to work now, complete with A4 pad and pencil to work out plan in lunch hour.
                                    Have a good day folks.Taurus

[posie]

posie I am working on it but have been sick with cold last few days.
Do have one more question for you. Would you like me to include harvest estimates for each bed.
Do happen to know what varieties you to plant.
Will you be using side retained raise beds, sloped raised beds, and how wide would like the paths.

Hope you feel better soon.  Harvest estimates would be great if you have the time and the inclination! Varieties I'll have to check on, need to go through the shoe boxes! so I'll get back to you on that one.  Have abandoned idea of raised beds now as I think I've sorted the drainage issues and don't want paths too wide as I lost a lot of space with them last year and have now dug them all up!  I'll leave that one to your expertise if you don't mind lol  ;D

[shaun01]

mmmmmmmm