New Allotmenteer - Crop Rotation help

[DeniseP]

Hi All

I'm new here and started on my half plot in Edinburgh back in March. I have had a reasonably successful time (save a small problem with pigeons and broccoli and cabbages). I have:
3 small (2x1m) beds - 2 with brassicas and 1 with beetroot and celeriac
2 large 4 x 1.5m beds - 1 with potatoes and one with onions, leeks and garlic

I want now to plant some seedlings for autumn harvesting (more broccoli, ruby chard, turnips and swedes). Which of the beds should I transplant them in. Do I treat it as the same season and put the brassicas in where spring / summer brassicas were or do I treat it as a new season and start rotating?

Any advice welcomed. Thanks

[bearded bloke]

Sorry but I'm not good at crop rotation stuff, more knowledgeable grapes will be along soon, in the between time ...... Hello & Welcome

[Greenleaves]

Welcome to the vine, enjoy the benefits of the advice and humour


Although crop rotation is important it does not have to be every year, I for instance work the the same crops in the same beds for two years unless desease strikes in between, I even know some very old and wise gardeners who dont bother.

[Bigmallly]

Hello Denise & welcome to the Jungle. I personally don't use a crop rotation system. Instead I make sure I plant a different crop in the bed to what was grown the previous year/season.

[Alison]

I rotate every crop, find it easier that way and think there are definite benefits. I'm probably slightly obsessive about it but as long as you do a basic plan then it's pretty straightforward. I have 4 sets of equally sized beds and whilst in theory they are spuds, legumes, brassicas then roots & alliums with salad stuffs, courgettes etc shoved in between. However there are times when I'll have the same veg family in two rotation years at the same time. One nearing the end of its life and ready to dig up and the other just starting out. Sections of beds get replaced and rotated as ready. I drew it on squared paper the first year and then just moved it along each year.

[veggiechicken]

Hello Denise and welcome from me too.
My version of crop rotation is..............if there's an empty space bung it in. Like rarely follows like this way. I'm not organised enough to have a plan.

[Bren In Pots]

Hello and welcome to the vine Denise, I move my brassicas and leeks to different beds each year but everything else gets fitted in where I have space.

Don't you love gardening everyone does things a bit different but no way is wrong