Topic: Manure and Crop Rotation?

[Normylass]

 ;D
Just coming to the end of my first season of growing and its been a year of great success and some failures. I've roughly split the plot into 4 for crop rotation and want to know which will need manuring for next season. My segments are potatoes, legumes, the onion family and brassicas. Everything else I've slotted in as and when there was a space.

My crop rotation I'm planning is...
Brassicas to follow bean family
Bean family to follow the potatoes
Potatoes to follow the onion family
and onions to follow the brassicas

Is this crop rotation the best use of the soil and now which bits do I add my well rotted manure to? for over winter if you see what I mean. Then do I also manure in the spring?

Thankyou in advance  ;D

[Tee Gee]

Is this crop rotation the best use of the soil and now which bits do I add my well rotted manure to? for over winter if you see what I mean. Then do I also manure in the spring?

Its a different rotation plan  from what I would use.

My crop rotation I'm planning is...
Brassicas to follow bean family
Bean family to follow the potatoes
Potatoes to follow the onion family
and onions to follow the brassicas

Potatoes > Brassicas > Others. then back to potatoes is basically my rotation plan.

Which would work out like this

Muck (no lime) > Lime no muck > nothing added
 
But I have to say I tend to muck 100% of my plot every year.

I do this in Sept-Nov which allows me to add lime to my brassicas at planting out time in April/May.

It might not be what the books/pundits say but it works for me.

If you carry on with your plan and muck now there should be no need to muck again in spring!

I hope that hasn't confused you

[cornykev]

You haven't mention roots, carrots, parsnips etc, if you are doing roots do not manure these beds, TG has his own special way that he manures these beds but in my opinion you should steer clear of manure on these beds. I personally put my roots and onions in the same bed.     ;D ;D  ;D

[Normylass]

Thank you TeeGee and Kev.
I am very lucky and have a free constant supply of horse manure which I just tip over the fence and stack. 2 horses live in the field next to my plot !! I have been busy stacking since this time last year and my oldest pile looks ready to use.. I have even had the added bonus of growing 2 pumpkin plants on this pile :)
I ask about manuring again in spring because this is what my plot neighbour did after he had manured in the autumn, and this confused me. So I can manure most of the plot in the autumn, but definatley where the potatoes are going, and maybe where the brassicas are going, I think I've got it, thank you.
 

The carrots this year have been grown in two old baths in compost to try and protect against carrot fly. But they all were attacked by the dreaded fly...one of my failures this year. I am definatley going to try growing the carrots direct in the ground next year with the onions for company as you suggest Kev, someone futher up the site did this and had a brillant crop of carrots.
Parsnips well they seem well on top but have still to start digging, I'm not getting my hopes up just incase. They have just been popped in at the end of the plot this year as the space became avaiable.

[Unwashed]

I agree with a four-year rotation for potatoes and onions because they both have nasty pests that will build up.  A problem with potatoes after onions is that I'll put the leeks in after the early potatoes because it's the only space available but that could mean onions one year and leeks the next which is bad, but I grow more potatoes than onions so as long as the new potatoes don't actyally go where the onions did the previous year then it works.

I manure for potatoes and squash tribe.  I agree with brassicas after beans because the brassicas benefit from the nitrogen fixed by the beans the previous year - so make an effort to leave the bean's roots in the ground when you pull the beans up.

[chriscross1966]

I'd always put brassicas (inc swedes) in after potatos to keep the lime away from the spuds.... depends a bit on soil but I'm a bit of a worry-wart about scab... (mostly cos I love King Edwards and Desiree, both of which are a bit prone to it)

chrisc

[Normylass]

Thank you for all the information.
Lots to think about, it seems there are no absolute rules. ?
I couldn't get to my plot today so I've got withdrawal symptoms  ;)
My daughter had me making wedding invites instead!!   :D

[Digeroo]

I ask about manuring again in spring

The time for manuring can be affected by the soil type.  For very light soils sandy and gravelly, manuring in autumn is like putting it in a seive a lot of the goodness washes out by the spring.    For heavier soils the worms get mixing and it will be all ready in the spring.

Being on gravel I try and grow green crops overwinter to lock up the last bits of nutrient from the soil.  So I am all for spring manuring.