New Plot Planning advice

[Plot10]

OK, so I have a new plot just 5 minutes from work. The cultivated area measures 5.5m (E/W) and 10m (N/S) plus a shared shed, water butt, a couple of daleks and rather overgrown path approx 50cm wide on 3 sides. Nice light friable soil to which I've added a sprinkle of chicken pellets as I've gone along. It was partially covered with couch grass but this has forked out relatively easily and I have stacked it to rot down.

My question relates to crop rotation. At my old plot which, was much bigger, I didn't have to worry too much as I could have whole beds of a single crop and just move on a couple of beds each year. As my new plot is much more compact I'm a bit confused by some of the crop rotation plans online. Some grow potatoes and roots together, others class potatoes as nightshade and have them growing alongside tomatoes, is a swede classed as a root or a brassica etc? Most common seems to be Roots, leaves, brassicas and legumes but then where do onions and leeks go

Anyway, basically the crops I want to grow are: Potatoes, carrots, parsnips, beetroot, onions, shallots, leeks, garlic, cauliflower, broccoli, swede celeriac, peas, beans, sweetcorn and squash. I also have a few permanent crops such as asparagus, rhubarb and strawberries at the south end so the remaining area would be 5.5m by 8m or 4 beds of 2.5 by 4.

Please could someone advise a rotation plan of what should go with what.

Thanks

[bario1]

I know we're all supposed to do crop rotation, but my plot is a similar size to yours, and I don't bother. Things generally go in wherever and whenever there is space available. Some things are limited by shade from trees so can never be grown in certain beds - and I have one bed that gets used for roots every year because it's raised and nice and deep. I just add a lot of organic stuff to the soil each year and hope for the best.

Sorry, that's not much help.

[Lumpy]

Like Bario I tend to shove things in as and where they will fit (hangs head in shame). The only thing I do is try and make sure that different things are planted the following year. I have several sheets of paper with what went where and when so I can try and keep track but.......I mess up regularly. I promise myself every year to plan ahead and every year I fail and revert back to the chaotic method.
A lot of it will depend on the kind of person you are - organised and practical (I wish) or chaotic and confused by regulation like me.
Either way it comes down to what suits you and your site as well as the future veggie inhabitants.

[bario1]

If I had to use a spreadsheet, I'd no longer consider it a hobby.

[Plot10]

Thanks, my previous plot was massive in comparison (I never actually measured it) and I had 6' x 3' beds made out of, well, old bed frames, looked like a cemetery but I think I had about 14 or 15 so space wasn't an issue. My new plot does divide very neatly into 4 but a lot of the pictures on Pinterest etc are very pretty but seem to have a lot of space between beds and I don't want to waste space.

Maybe I should just have a path down the middle with a succession of rows on either side rather than beds. This would give me a bit more flexibility, specially in the first year as time is wearing on to get stuff in.

[Lumpy]

If you do that this year and it does not quite work out for you - next year you will be able to reorganise. Struth there's me talking about organisation - oh oh air born piggies outside the window.

[SmallestSmallholding]

I think you only really need to worry if you start noticing signs of persistent soil-dwelling pests that overwinter underground, or disease eg clubroot or blight (yep, try and keep tomatoes and potatoes apart if poss). You can follow nitrogen fixers like peas with salad leaves or your leeks/onions etc if you want to do a really simple crop rotation.

That said, I'm doing no dig and with a couple of inches of fresh organic compost each year we shouldn't really be looking at any major issues with crop rotation/soil nutrition. If your crops are healthy this year and you're replenishing the soil each year I think you'll be fine without a complicated plan