Topic: Planning your year???

[landimad]

What am I to do??
I have started the year with good intentions and it has all gone to plot.
Ground work completed and seeds sown.
All of it has come up or not and I have no space left to fit all my plants into.
I think I went a bit mad with the sowing of seed, now all there is left are pots to fill with plants to grow on.
My beds are full with no thought of what they want to feed on let alone what spacing they should be.
I have Legumes growing with brassica's, and roots growing all over the place.
Talk about a disorganised excuse for a gardener.
Can some of you put me out of my misery and get me organised for next year.
I need to get the beds into some sort of rotation and the correct soil for the plants I am going to grow there please.
I am off work with stress and seem to have got all my eggs broken into one basket. They say that the little things add up and boy has this got me annoyed by ruining the only thing that my father has really taught me to appreciate, producing food to eat.
I so want to get things right but have no organisation skills or how to plan for the next years food. ??? ??? ???
What am I to do??

[manicscousers]

stop panicking  ;D
you'll still get some food to eat and it'll be lovely, we make a paper plan each year, put down what we have in our beds, work out what can go in next and sort the soil out from there  ;D

[pippy]

I think a lot of people just stick things in as the ground is dug in the first year - we did as we only got the plot at the beginning of April! ;D

The main thing is, you WILL get some good produce out of the plot, and yes, you WILL have some failures.

... That's what spurs you on to work out how to do it better next year ... you are simply looking ahead to then.  Don't panic and try to enjoy your plot and learn what you did right and wrong - everyone here (no matter how experienced they are) is still doing that and laughing about it !! ;D ;D

[Tulipa]

Hi Landimad,

Pippy and Manics are right, the best bit is you have all your space filled!  You have obviously worked very hard and have done really well.  Many people who take on a plot grow very little in their first year so you are well ahead.

The best bit of advice at the moment is to make a plan of what you have growing now and take photos too, that way you will have a start for your rotation for next year and at least know where not to grow things.

Then find yourself a good book/website that has veggies in the rotation plan which are ones that you grow.  There are loads of different rotation plans and you just need to find one that suits you.  Then you can start to plan for next year, but come the autumn you will be glad of this job when you can't get on the lottie so much so there is not a great rush now, just as long as you know what you grew where this year!  It is research you can do while you are off work, and look at seed websites for next year.

Many veg grow quite well without any nutrients added to the soil, just won't be quite such big specimens so don't worry about that.  The wonderful flavour will still be there.

I am sure if you look at Tee Gee's website he will have info about rotation, he has most things and I will see what I can find but don't want to lose this typing by looking now.  I will post websites when I find them.

Most of all though, enjoy your veggies growing, and savour the eating of them, they are so much better than anything shop bought! :)

T.

[asbean]

There's a lady on a plot near us who just puts things in any old how, everything is totally mixed up and looks like disorganised chaos. But if you look closely there's a lot there, and lots of companion planting.

But it doesn't half upset the old boys who use string and posts to make sure their rows are ACCURATELY laid out.  And they use a ruler to measure distances between plants, and a dibber with a measure to make sure the plants go in at EXACTLY the right depth.  Too anal for my liking.

So what, but whatever anyone chooses to do is fine for them, there are very few hard and fast "rules" about growing veg, but the important thing is to EHJOY  8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8) 8)

[Tee Gee]

Thanks for the plug Tulipa  :)

As you say I have a few bits and pieces on my website that might help.

Having said that I always start off with a plan of what I intend to do but do not always succeed, and end up changing it.

Generally these changes are down to germination rates e.g. I get better or worse results, causing me to grow more of this, or less of that, as the case may be.

But overall it generally works out in the end.

Computer aids in the allotment;

http://www.thegardenersalmanac.co.uk/Data/Computers%20and%20gardening/Computers%20and%20gardening.htm

nb; Use the links within the link for more information

Planning; http://www.thegardenersalmanac.co.uk/Data/Planning/Planning.htm


Planners;   http://www.thegardenersalmanac.co.uk/Indexes/index.htm

[Tulipa]

No problem Tee Gee, you have a wonderful website.

http://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profiles1200/crop_rotation.asp

http://www.powen.freeserve.co.uk/advanced/CropRtn.htm

These are two that I have found.  the RHS has several books with a good cropping plan in, as does Garden Organic.

Hope this helps.  And you can always come on here and ask and you will have plenty of help.

Good luck

T.

[Digeroo]

I am bit of a random gardener.  No measured rows.  Not much of a plan.  Keep on changing things.  Part of the pleasure, never quite know what is going to happen next.  Try not to plant things of the same plant group in the same soil for a couple of years. 

If plants look a bit hungry I feed them.   Set yourself small targets and then you will be sure to achieve them.  Make your goal posts wider then you are sure to score a goal.

Ground work completed and seeds sown - great
All of it has come up - great
I have no space left to fit all my plants - great

Score Three nil.

Sound like you are doing very well to me.

[shirlton]

This year we have used 3 different coloured plant markers and these are being left in situ when the crop is lifted so that when we want to plant something else we just have to look see what category was there before instead of having to guess. We dont have raised beds so our crops go all over the plot and in all directions.

[cornykev]

Hi Landimad, I think all of us planted stuff where it wasn't supposed to be the first season, mine was certainly all over the place. It won't matter much the first year but the second year you should get into some sort of rotation or you will heighten your chances of diseases building up. Get yourself a good book, check out SHOP on the top right of the page, and look at what your neighbours are growing.
I have four beds.
Spuds in one.
Roots in the next, carrots, parsnips, beetroot,leeks, onions and shallots, I also fit sweetcorn in with this group.
Brassicas in another, cauli's,cabbages, swede, brussels etc.
The last one I have Peas and beans and fit in cucumbers and squash.
Runners are kept in the same place on the end.
Everyone has different rotation ideas and plans, I work out my beds and fit in non rotation crops where ever they fit, best of luck and enjoy it, its not a chore so do a bit at a time, better little and often.     ;D ;D ;D

[muddylou]

Hi Landimad, I think all of us planted stuff where it wasn't supposed to be the first season, mine was certainly all over the place. It won't matter much the first year but the second year you should get into some sort of rotation or you will heighten your chances of diseases building up. Get yourself a good book, check out SHOP on the top right of the page, and look at what your neighbours are growing.
I have four beds.
Spuds in one.
Roots in the next, carrots, parsnips, beetroot,leeks, onions and shallots, I also fit sweetcorn in with this group.Brassicas in another, cauli's,cabbages, swede, brussels etc.
The last one I have Peas and beans and fit in cucumbers and squash.
Runners are kept in the same place on the end.
Everyone has different rotation ideas and plans, I work out my beds and fit in non rotation crops where ever they fit, best of luck and enjoy it, its not a chore so do a bit at a time, better little and often.     ;D ;D ;D

Just wish I'd known that you could do that, this is my fist year and I have planted onions , garlic, shallots etc in one bed. In another bed I have carrots and parsnip. these would have worked out ideal in the same bed space wise. Anyway thanks for the tip for next year.   

[kt.]

It will all come together in time.  The first year is always a free for all by putting anything anywhere.  At least you have more veg than weeds 8) 8)

[1066]

the only thing that my father has really taught me to appreciate, producing food to eat.

I'd say you have achieved this and I bet your dad would be chuffed.
I think you might be looking at it as a glass half full. You've successfully grown things, that's a huge achievement in the 1st year. and there is truly so much to learn, it will come good, and there will be some failures but the achievement of growing your own will outweigh those.

And from this year you will have a better idea about what you like to grow, what grows well on your site and what new things you'd like to try. So I'd start making some lists and as others have said take some photos to help remind you, and then sit down with some pen and paper and do a rough drawing of your plot, mark the beds out and then write in the boxes (Roots / Brassicas / Onions / Beans etc) and it will soon take shape, you could do a couple of versions and mark them Spring / Summer / Autumn etc as well to help you visualise what will be going where

I think you are doing brilliantly, much better that I did in my 1st year !
Take Care
1066

[landimad]

A BIG THANKS TO ALL.
You all have lifted my spirits in thinking that I was not doing things right.
All the links and help will be most welcome in the future.
I was having a bit of a downer when I posted this thread.
Now all I need to do is focus and apply the help to get the garden looking good for years to come.
I have enlisted the help of my daughter who will show me how to start up a webpage or photobucket thingy. Not sure what all this is yet as I am now classed as a grey not silver surfer.
Strawberries are going red and very juicy, runners are at the top of the canes, cabbages are now the size of tennis balls with no pigeon or Caterpillar damage thus far.
Toms are forming, Parsley is thick are very green, carrots doing well and lettuce is very crunchy.
If you all were any closer we could have a buffet and share more thoughts of how to defeat the pests and diseases that plague us all.
Regards
John. 8) ;D 8)

[1066]

That's good to hear landimad. And with photobucket you'll be able to keep a great photo record of your achievements  ;D

[landimad]

All new to me this photobucket.
I am just uploading me photos and waiting to see how you lot can see them on here.
If possible I shall try to get this computing lark working right and then watch out youngsters grey surfing will become silver in no time. ;D ;D ;D

[1066]

grey surfing will become silver in no time. ;D ;D ;D

Judging by the photo you've got a purple rinse  :P  ;)  ;D
I trust this photo will be the 1st of many......   :D

1066

[landimad]

As I am new to this I shall try to get them on here as and when I can.
New toys and old ways are trying to mix.