Topic: What to plant/sow in raised bed that had turnips harvested from it this year?

[Crystalmoon]

Hi everyone I have completely harvested one raised bed of turnips & am wondering what I should plant/sow in it next....
I would normally just sow more turnips & then next year avoid brassicas in this bed but due to the Diamond Back moth trouble this year I am wondering if I should avoid sowing a brassica in this bed now the turnips have been harvested?
I could use the bed for my leeks that haven't gone into their final position yet & that would leave the bed I was planning to put the leeks in free to grow anything as nothing has gone in that bed yet this year. Thanks xjane

[ancellsfarmer]

Crop rotation started by Turnip Townsend in the 1700s, if memory serves. Plot change of a basis of 4 year cycle, no manure prior to roots, personally use potatoes to start (usually reclaiming a derelict plot somewhere), brassicae,legumes,roots. Would be nice to stay somewhere to see the cycle round more than once!! Then youve got to shuffle the catch crops in, salads, onions/garlic 6 years ? Cant be too rigorous but I find the most important thing is to get a good start for next year, this year. Get the early planted bits prepared so you are not behind too far if winter lingers.

[Crystalmoon]

Hi Ancellsfarmer....was crop rotation really invented by a man called Turnip....it made me laugh out loud when I read your post...how funny & apt considering my question is about rotation in a Turnip bed 

I've kept a written note of what I have grown in each of my new raised beds this year on my new plot but hadn't given long term crop rotation much thought....I have made plans for where to put my spuds for the next 3 years as these won't be grown in raised beds.

Would chicken manure pellets cause a problem for roots?
Thanks xJane   

[Tee Gee]

I'm with Ancell on this one plus I would add a little more and that is:

I often treat one end of the bed as a bed and the other end as a bed this means if you only have a couple of beds choose what the size,(although the bigger the full bed the better) gives me a potential for a four bed rotation facility.

In fact because my beds are thirty foot long(10m) I sometimes split my beds even further.

In the end it all comes back to a bit of pre-planning, this I usually do in October in preparation for the following year! That is this is the time when I do my winter digging and manuring and ordering my seeds so I know what areas I want to manure and how many plants / rows I plan on planting/sowing. I also plan for my catch / follow on crops at the same time.

OK sometimes depending upon the growing conditions I get I have to make the odd adjustment to my plan but I consider that a minor problem as generally most of my plan works out.

[Crystalmoon]

Thanks Tee Gee yes I will plan better for next year....I was in a rush to get things growing this year as I only started working on my new allotment in April. I've made a note of what I've grown in each bed so far so I should be able to plan properly this Winter.

[rollingrock]

endive or another leaf type crop that is not brasica