Topic: what follows: talking rotations

[strawberry1]

what best follows

brassicas

alliums

potatoes

beans

I am not sure if I have the best rotation and would welcome advice. Second year coming up and trying to get straight after a messy start because of getting a few things in quickly, whilst clearing

[aj]

Have a look at the poster called 'crop rotation' on this linkie

http://www.gardenorganic.org.uk/growyourown/food-growing-manual-posters.php

Should assist

[gavinjconway]

great poster...

[taurus]

Thanks AJ.  I was wondering what to put on the notice board for change.  The newer members should find this andy.

[fitzsie]

Yes, this site is very handy. Just built my own compost and has added hints for that as well. Can't believe what I'm saying, I built my own compost......................Me who a year ago had never grown as much as a lettuce before !!

[tomatoada]

I like this .  Thanks for question and answer.

It does not mention manure.   Which bed would you put it on?

[aj]

I like this .  Thanks for question and answer.

It does not mention manure.   Which bed would you put it on?

It doesn't mention manure because manure really isn't needed. But if you want to use it, use it on the beds which say 'add compost'. The brassicas and the potatoes/squashes.

[tomatoada]

   I am going to use this plan but leave one bed unplanted.  I can't grow onions (disease), and carrots are grown in a separate raised bed.  Beetroot and spinach don't need a whole bed so for me this is a good plan.  Thanks again.

[strawberry1]

 :) thank you so much aj.

 Excellent plan and one I am going to draw out later today. I like the add compost bit as I only use compost, rock dust and comfrey on clay soil and have had tremendous crops already. I have the new posh A4 hardback notebook ready and the much used scribblings in another cheapo notebook, so now I am ready to go smart and will enjoy planning later today

I have 4 rotations with 4 beds in each, 2 or 3 in each are raised and I have the weed fabric footpaths down and they have proved their worth this year. It is all pretty intense as my total plot is only 8 x 100 feet and of that 1/3 is fruit and utility but I haven`t bought any veg this year from mid april

[manicscousers]

we add a squash rotation, a couple of beds  :)

[daveyboi]

The what follows bit confuses everything for me as like that poster it states yearly rotation.
However we often follow one early type crop by another and that seems to throw things out.

I generally try to make sure nothing is grown in the same place for two years whilst still trying to follow the general principles as the poster shows.

[Digeroo]

I am somewhat confused by the rotation on the poster.  Seems to have beans after brassicas, but I thought that beans left nitrogen in the soil and so you follow them by brassicas.

I also tend to give my potatoes leaf mould rather than compost since I think it seem to reduce the scabbing.

[aj]

I am somewhat confused by the rotation on the poster.  Seems to have beans after brassicas, but I thought that beans left nitrogen in the soil and so you follow them by brassicas.

I also tend to give my potatoes leaf mould rather than compost since I think it seem to reduce the scabbing.

You are confused. The crops rotate in the direction of the arrows so brassicas follow beans  ;D

[aj]

The what follows bit confuses everything for me as like that poster it states yearly rotation.
However we often follow one early type crop by another and that seems to throw things out.

I generally try to make sure nothing is grown in the same place for two years whilst still trying to follow the general principles as the poster shows.

It's not that complicated. Just pick a date and everything for that crop goes in that bed until the next yearly date. Then, when the next thing of that type goes in, put it in the next bed along.

[Duke Ellington]

Its a good poster.

Duke

[chriscross1966]

Have a look at the poster called 'crop rotation' on this linkie

http://www.gardenorganic.org.uk/growyourown/food-growing-manual-posters.php

Should assist

It's lovely and all but a bit naive.... If your having to add lime to your soil for brassicas then they should follow potatoes to keep the spuds away from the lime.... if you're having to add sulphur to acidify the soil for spuds cos it's already limey then they should follow brassicas.... most people also grow enough exotics (sweetcorn, cucurbits) to need a space in the rotation too and if you're aiming for semi-self-sufficiency then you need to split alliums off the other crops, making a six-way rotation....

[aj]

Have a look at the poster called 'crop rotation' on this linkie

http://www.gardenorganic.org.uk/growyourown/food-growing-manual-posters.php

Should assist

It's lovely and all but a bit naive.... If your having to add lime to your soil for brassicas then they should follow potatoes to keep the spuds away from the lime.... if you're having to add sulphur to acidify the soil for spuds cos it's already limey then they should follow brassicas.... most people also grow enough exotics (sweetcorn, cucurbits) to need a space in the rotation too and if you're aiming for semi-self-sufficiency then you need to split alliums off the other crops, making a six-way rotation....

Well it is for schools...the poster doesn't mention lime, or sulphur, or manure; and the OP just asked for a simple crop rotation plan. If you want to split it into more beds then great. If it's too basic for you then don't use it. Simples.

I don't add lime, manure [any more] or sulphur and I have no issues with spuds or brassicas.

[strawberry1]

I used the poster to give me the basis yesterday and I cut strips tp represent my beds so mixing and moving was easy. 2012 is a bit fiddly with a few beds but I will be straight and will be following the rotation exactly in 2013. I intend to put in a quick green manure, like phacelia, so that I get to introduce another planting group in 2012 as a couple of the groups will be a bit too close for comfort, also catch crops like beetroot will help

I am being more precise next year re seed germination and growing on too. I planted too many in the initial stages at home and it was far too labour intensive re watering etc last spring. Onion sets, shallots and garlic too and I now know exactly how many of each to order and plant. Cabbages will have to be smaller as mine are very big and weighty and each one lats us a full week

I can do all this forward planning now that I have my rotation in order  :)

[chriscross1966]

...
I am being more precise next year re seed germination and growing on too. I planted too many in the initial stages at home and it was far too labour intensive re watering etc last spring. Onion sets, shallots and garlic too and I now know exactly how many of each to order and plant. Cabbages will have to be smaller as mine are very big and weighty and each one lats us a full week

I can do all this forward planning now that I have my rotation in order  :)

I'd suggest you sow in modules.... that way it's easy to get the number of plants you want, sow a few seeds in each module and thin to the strongest.... plus it's easy to grow lots of varieties in a single tray, a 24-drop module pack might well be six plants each of four different varieties, rgeat if you've swapped some seed around and know you want a dozen cabbages and a doxen caulis.... now you can have a very mixed row easily... also to save on the watering hassle use capilliary matting.... a row of gravel trays with a single piece (or at least continuously touching) matting running down them can have another tray on the end as a water resevoir adn all you have to do is to top that one up each day, I found last year that six trays of strongly growing plants would use the resevoir in two days... by adding another resevoir I could get away with watering the seedlings twice a week....

[plainleaf]

this 8 year crop rotation might be help for you English lads and ladies