Rotation

[Vince G]

Can someone give me some advice please. I have divided my allotment up into 6 plots for the purpose of rotation....but I'm not sure what should follow what. Here's a list of what's where:

Plot 1 = Alliums: Garlic and onions.

Plot 2 = miscellaneous: spinach, fennel, celery, sweetcorn, courgette, squash.

Plot 3 = Brassicas: Red cabbage, brussels, calabrese, PSB, WSB, caulis, romanesco.

Plot 4 = Legumes: 3 varieties of peas, broad beans, borlotto, dwarf french beans, chickpeas.

Plot 5 = Potatoes: mostly Maris Piper, but a half row of new pots too.

Plot 6 = Roots: carrots, parsnips, salsify.

So as you can see, I've divided stuff up into the relevant groups, although if anything is in the wrong one please tell me. I'm not sure where stuff should go next year. I#ll probably be mucking everywhere except where the roots will go. If anyone follows a 6 plot rotation or knows of one on the interweb, please educate me!

Many thanks.

[Bigmallly]

Different folk rotate their crops in different ways, the main aim is not to grow crops in the same bed for consecutive years, heres some info I found that may help.

http://southlondonpermaculture.com/reports/Rotation.doc

[zazen999]

If you are growing swede and turnip - make sure they go into the brassica area, not the root area.

Apart from that, looks fine to me.

Just do some reading up and see which you think should follow what - but to be honest, as long as you don't lime before putting potatoes in and you rotate potatoes and brassicas the rest pretty much fits in wherever you want. The main reason for rotation is to concentrate nutrients/ prevent pest & disease buildup but if you plan to put muck everywhere except the next root bed, then any rotation will do.

I just hope you have had your muck checked - even if you haven't I'd recommend checking it yourself before putting it everywhere.

[Florence Fennel]

I hadn't thought about putting turnip with my bras, first thought is that it's a root. Thanks Zaz.

[Kaiya]

I have a 6 bed rotation, exactly the same beds as you My order is:

Potatoes
Misc (curcurbits and sweetcorn for me)
Legumes
Brassicas
Aliums
Umbellifers

The misc bed comes after potatoes because the curcurbits also like a rich bed. Technically following discussions here about how the legumes don't really add nitrogen to the soil after they've produced pods, the legumes could be moved after the umbellifers, since they can make their own food. However I'm sticking with this for now.

My beets (beetroot, chard, spinach if it had bothered to grow) share beds with other plants to offer shade for the soil for crops that are more slender, e.g. the beetroot are in the alium bed, and chard is on the edges of the legume bed. I also have extra curcurbits randomly dotted around - in the legume bed and at the ends of paths etc. I do also plan to put some spring onions in with the umbellifers to help with carrot fly. Although my umbellifer bed is a disaster zone (flooded in the storms, dried out and capped in the sun, couch grass going mad; carrot, parsnip and spring onion seeds didn't have a chance) so who knows what that bed will end up growing this year.

[Vince G]

I have a 6 bed rotation, exactly the same beds as you My order is:

Potatoes
Misc (curcurbits and sweetcorn for me)
Legumes
Brassicas
Aliums
Umbellifers

Great minds think alike Kaiya!! I can work with that.

Thanks for all the advice guys, most useful, especially that article BiGMally.

[Vince G]

I just hope you have had your muck checked - even if you haven't I'd recommend checking it yourself before putting it everywhere.

You know how soil looks really starved and thin and lacking in any sort of real texture, well that's how it looked when we took the plot on after 2 years of apparent neglect, so I figure it could probably benefit from another lot this autumn.

We found a local pig farmer who paid us a visit with 4 tons of pretty ripe pig poo for £35. Also included was a small slab of concrete...which now forms the step to our shed! I've read lots of stuff about horse manure, but what concerns would you have with pigs'? What am I checking for?

[zazen999]

We found a local pig farmer who paid us a visit with 4 tons of pretty ripe pig poo for £35. Also included was a small slab of concrete...which now forms the step to our shed! I've read lots of stuff about horse manure, but what concerns would you have with pigs'? What am I checking for?

You didn't mention it was pig manure...I don't have any concerns with pigs. Only horses and cows.

[Kaiya]

If they are free range pigs it may be an issue (eating grass, and the grass may be been treated), but if they are indoor pigs they'll be fed on pellets.

It's aminopyralid, a broadleaf weed killer that persists in dung. To test you mix it with compost (I mix it 50/50, taking manure from several areas of the pile/bags) and try and grow some broad beans in it. If they grow normally, you're ok, if they have damaged/curled leaves, the manure may be contaminated and remains so for years.

[Bigmallly]

Technically following discussions here about how the legumes don't really add nitrogen to the soil after they've produced pods.

I was lead to believe that if you cut Legumes at the base when finished rather than lifting, they add nitrogen via nodules.

WQ277 Nitrogen in the Environment: Nitrogen Replacement Value of Legumes | University of Missouri Extension