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  • Dual cropping

    I have two allotments on which I am planning to be virtually self sufficient with vegetables,herbs,flowers and soft and hard fruit.
    To do this I need to dual crop each area and even triple crop some areas.

    No bare soil at any time always a crop, mulch or green manure on it!!!

    It often astounds me that plotholders pay an annual rent, yet only crop their allotment for five months!

    I use a raised bed system laid out in a Potager style, with no edging to the raised beds

    In case anyone is interested, here are some of my proposed cropping regimes.

    1) Spring sown Carrots followed by Autumn planted Japanese Onion sets
    2) Spring sown Turnips followed by Autumn sown Garlic
    3) Spring planted Onion sets followed by Autumn sown Peas
    4) Maincrop potatoes followed by Spring cabbage plants
    5) Summer sown French Beans followed by Broccoli plants
    6) Spring sown Broad beans followed by Savoy Cabbage plants
    7) Spring sown Peas followed by Winter Kale
    8) Spring sown Calabrese followed by Winter Leeks
    9) Summer cabbage followed by Christmas Potatoes
    10) Early Potatoes followed by Autumn sown Broad Beans

    I will be growing other crops as well and may jiggle the regime a bit to suit my own needs. The above is only a guideline!

    The first crop is always followed by a disimilar second crop but the rotation may not necessarily be 'by the book'
    It's worked in the past for me and I see no reason to change this informal rotation!
    Depending on the second crop requirements I may muck or lime the area before planting!
    My Majesty made for him a garden anew in order
    to present to him vegetables and all beautiful flowers.- Offerings of Thutmose III to Amon-Ra (1500 BCE)

    Diversify & prosper



  • #2
    All year round.

    This is just the sort of thing i've decided to do with my plot.
    as a relative newcomer to allotments and the all year round use there of,
    Any advise would be greatly appreciated.
    If Bindweed was edible i'd be a multi millionaire with a chain of restaurants selling the stuff with the amount I have on my plot.

    Comment


    • #3
      Welcome to the Vine, Nudger!

      Personally, as a newbie, I'm following John Seymours Self Suffiency (and the advice of the grapes here on the Vine!) - he crams 5 crops into 4 plots (pots, legumes, roots, brasicas, everything else) - mind you, I've already b*ggered it up by planting the garlic in the 'wrong' plot.

      At the end of the day, I don't suppose you'll go far wrong with following any crop with any other crop 'type', as Snadger says.

      Have fun with whatever your growing!

      Comment


      • #4
        Hi Nudger welcome to the Vine. I don't have beds on my plot (I stick to the traditional system as taught to me by my dad) but 1 idea that i have pinched of my old neighbour is marking alond the path with a stick painet white with red rings on every 5yds that way I know what i've planted where as I usually grow the same amout (area wise) of most crops ie my CHrysanths are about 15 ft as are the spuds etcand I move them all up one each year this give me a 5 year rotation.

        As to planting in the wrogs spot I wouldn't worry too much HATH, the first year I had mine I planted the autumn onions in the same spot as the normal ones cos thats the only bit of ground I'd got clear!! We had more than enough to see us through the following year
        ntg
        Never be afraid to try something new.
        Remember that a lone amateur built the Ark.
        A large group of professionals built the Titanic
        ==================================================

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        • #5
          Snadger that is super advice! Many thanks. Hope to be following it myself. Bernie
          Bernie aka DDL

          Appreciate the little things in life because one day you will realise they are the big things

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          • #6
            can i ask what are xmas potatoes??

            Comment


            • #7
              Originally posted by markwcel View Post
              can i ask what are xmas potatoes??
              I'll let the Telegraph explain!

              Kitchen garden: potatoes for Christmas - Telegraph
              My Majesty made for him a garden anew in order
              to present to him vegetables and all beautiful flowers.- Offerings of Thutmose III to Amon-Ra (1500 BCE)

              Diversify & prosper


              Comment


              • #8
                thanks for that...something to look forward too

                Comment


                • #9
                  i'm still learning and i'd love to have stuff growing in my veggie patch all year round
                  the last few years have been very hectic - last year was a rapid "clear ground and plant out" thing - this year i'm much better prepared and i've kinda sussed a basic 3 bed crop rotation - i've got loads of seedlings etc in the greenhouse waiting to be planted out - but i'm sticking mostly to what i know we'll eat loads of

                  i'd like to work out follow-on crops so i know what to sow and when, so i can get it ready to plant out when the current crops are finished - but that's a job for later ....
                  http://MeAndMyVeggies.blogspot.com

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Thanks Snadger, I've printed that off and see how it works out with my own plans.

                    From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Snadger
                      Great minds and all that - my 5 acres is gonna work it's nuts off this year -details yet to be finalised but I hope to take at least two, three if possible, crops off the whole field with the exception of the JA's being put in as windbreaks, my 150m of parsley and my herb bed.
                      Even the tunnel isn't escaping from this intensive regime, though it'll be a later start as it has to play nursery to thousands of young plants first.
                      Rat

                      British by birth
                      Scottish by the Grace of God

                      http://scotsburngarden.blogspot.com/
                      http://davethegardener.blogspot.com/

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Great plan Snadger. It goes to show that the soil does not need to be 'rested'. In fact, bare ground is bad for the soil.
                        Yesterday I cut cabbage, leek, PSB, chives, parsley, sorrel, scorzonera, chard, mustard, kale and rhubarb. Not bad for the 'hungry gap'.

                        PS. the Broadies you sent me are doing well - just going out for a sunbathe now.
                        Last edited by Two_Sheds; 11-04-2008, 08:00 AM.
                        All gardeners know better than other gardeners." -- Chinese Proverb.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Thanks for that Snadger, thats going to help me on my raised beds.
                          good Diggin, Chuffa.

                          Catapultam habeo. Nisi pecuniam omnem mihi dabris, ad caput tuum saxum immane mittam.

                          http://chuffa.wordpress.com/

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Snadger - I see you are planning summer sown french beans followed by broccoli. I assume you mean purple sprouting, and I wonder if you have done this before. I ask because that would make it quite late to plant the broccoli - maybe September/ October? Will you be growing the plants elsewhere and transplanting?

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Hi Snadger,
                              Do you have any pictures of you plots?
                              I have open raised beds and was wondering what yours look like potager style,
                              i am thinking of maybe swapping to rows but may just rearrange my bed placings.
                              thanks

                              Comment

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