Crop rotation and overwintering veg

[shmeen]

Hi,

We're in the middle of our first year on our plot and I'm thinking about where next year's crops will go in the rotation plan. I'm a bit confused about where to put veg that will overwinter - currently we plan to put in leeks, swedes, kale and some cabbage to go through the winter - should they be planted where this year's crops for those families are, or next years? I've read that leeks can be put in where early new potatoes have been pulled up, but also that some plans say to put alliums in the year after potatoes so how does that work if the leeks are already there? I'm assuming I can't put them in the same bed as the maincrop versions of these veg once they're done this year? Any advice would be great!

Thanks,
Shmeen - confused!

[di]

I usually put my leeks in where my new potatoes were simply because it's the most convenient...just as they've been dug up I'm looking for a space for leeks.
Your overwintering onions won't want to go in until you've dug up your maincrop anyway,so pop them in there.
Don't know how many potatoes you grow but there's no way I'd want to use all my previous potato beds up with leeks...I love leeks but....

I don't get too bogged down with crop rotation,so long as there's a couple of years gap between,then stuff goes where there's space.

[zazen999]

The main things to move round the plot are the potatoes and the brassicas, most other stuff probably won't matter all that much unless you have problems.

You can either say your season starts in X month [sept for instance] and have a bed dedicated to that type for a full year; or you can just 'never follow with the same crop'...I personally [usually] rotate the potatoes and the rest falls into place.

[Snadger]

I think people get mixed up between 'crop rotation' and 'annual crop rotation.'

True crop rotation doesn't work in time cycles.

As Zaz says, just never follow 'like with like' and you won't go far wrong!