Topic: Crop rotation

[Obelixx]

I have a problem with crop rotation because I don't grow potatoes and all the advice online and in books involves spuds.

I need to plant out my PSB babies as they are now outgrowing their 9cm square pots.   Can I just bung them in after the broad beans which have now finished?  And when I run out of space where else can I put them?  I don't grow peas or summer beans as they need too much water and don't do well here.

[Deb P]

I used to have a strict crop rotation, but adapted it to what I grow which also isn’t the four/five group of crops rotation. These days I am a lot more relaxed, and basically have some beds I keep the same thing in every year (squash which grow in a specific framed area, some beds have permanent flowers in like dahlias) and the rest I rotate around simply growing different crops every year in the same area.
Importantly (I think) I keep records of each raised bed/ area and what treatment the bed gets each year  (eg either manure, compost, rock dust or green manure) and also any problems/pests…..I have a bit of white rot on one raised bed, so the records remind me not to grow any of the onion family for at least seven years!

[gray1720]

I don't think most allotments have the space to properly rotate brassicas in particular, just try to keep as wide a gap between seasons where you grow them in the same spot as possible. Following broad beans is fine - they'll have put nitrogen into the soil.   

[Tee Gee]

My system for covering a situation such as yours was basically to know if a piece of ground was not contaminated in the previous season with a disease specific to the plant/s you are trying to find a home for.

The other thing is to have an idea of your soils pH

Knowing these two things usually meant that you could grow most anything in it other than say 'Potatoes'

For example; Potatoes prefer a soil on the acidic side (i.e.free of lime) whereas most other things will tolerate most soils, even alkaline soil.

This is why potatoes usually appear first or last in a rotation system,because stuff grown in that area and 2-3 years or the previous/next 2-3 years will have depleted the lime content!

Add to that, previous/next 2-3 years will have been subjected to weathering, which adds to the lime depletion.

This is why I always planted my brassicas after the potatoes so that I could apply lime, knowing that when  I got around to growing potatoes again the pH had most likely reduced to around or below 7

Here is an article on pH & Crop Rotation;
https://www.thegardenersalmanac.co.uk/Content/S/Soil-pH/Soil%20pH.htm

https://www.thegardenersalmanac.co.uk/Content/C/Crop%20rotation/Crop%20Rotation.htm

[Obelixx]

Thank you all.  Very helpful to know it can be flexible.   I shall consult your almanac for liming advice Tee Gee.

Our soil is neutral to slightly acid so I've bought some lime as I do grow a lot of brassicas especially cavolo nero and PSB which I can't buy here but I also like to grow Savoy, pointy and red cabbage a well as green broccoli and OH has treated himself to some abominable sprouts this year so I thought it would be advisable to add lime.   The chooks love brassicas too, as I've discovered....... so we net against butterflies and hens now. 

Other movable favourites are garlic, leeks, shallots, beetroot, fennel and broad beans plus cut and come again salad leaves.

We always add some of our own garden compost when replanting a bed and I bunged a whole trailer load of manure (swapped for eggs with neighbour) for the new, permanent dahlia bed and planted the squashes and courgettes in the spare space.  There is a seep hose in there so it'll be good to be able to keep topping up the manure and grow more squashes in there.

Other permanent beds are raspberries, a mixed currants bed which includes a pomegranate and a feijoa now and a dryer bed with green asparagus and globe  artichokes.    Tried fartichokes but it's too dry here.

Tomatoes and chillies are in the polytunnel with seep hoses and herbs up by the kitchen.