A nutty idea for crop rotation

[veggiechicken]

Bear with me while I float some random thoughts across your bows!

1. We're told to "rotate" our crops so that we don't grow the same veg in the same place in consecutive years.

2. "No dig" advice is to mulch the beds annually and plant into the mulch.

3. Many of us don't have access to enough "mulch" to do this.

4. Carrots and other root veg like deep, stone free soil. (I've been growing them in buckets to give them the depth they need but watering can be an issue)



My nutty idea ............

use a portable raised bed (just an outer frame - like a pallet collar) which rests on top of the existing bed. Fill the frame with sieved soil and sow carrots/roots into it.

When the roots have been cropped, move the bed to a new location (?alongside) and repeat the "fill with soil/sow carrots" routine.

Each time you do this, you improve the soil and you only need to create as much mulch/compost as it takes to fill the frame.

I probably haven't explained this very well but I'm going to give it a go using the sieved soil from the carrot buckets emptied into a yard square decking-board frame.

[Can the Man]

VC I think that’s a very clever idea, I have kept one of my poly tunnel raised bets outside because I want a bit more floor space in the poly tunnel for some pots. I might try your idea next spring.

[Small pumpkin]

That makes perfect sense VC.
I don’t see why that wouldn’t work very well.

[roitelet]

Sounds fine VC, go for it.

[Snoop Puss]

Another vote for go for it. Sounds like a sensible plan.

[veggiechicken]

VC I think that’s a very clever idea.

That makes perfect sense VC. .

Sounds fine VC, go for it.

Sounds like a sensible plan.

This is terrible!! You're telling me its sensible!!!! You'll ruin my reputation.

[Bren In Pots]

This is terrible!! You're telling me its sensible!!!! You'll ruin my reputation.

VC just think of it as a extension of growing in the buckets like you've been doing all along, that way you've not lost your reputation

[Snadger]

I am not so sure.

It depends what your soil type is like.

I assume you have grown in sieved soil before without problems?

The reason I mention it is a leek grower I knew thought he would fill his leek trench with molehills he had gathered. It rained hard and soon after there was a period of drought. He needed a pick and crow bar to plant his leeks as the soil was like concrete.

I would add coarse sand and possibly coir or peat to keep soil friable.

[veggiechicken]

Snadge, I'll be using old compost from the GH tomatoes and soil from the old chicken run that the chooks still visit and turn over. Its my chicken run sized compost bin!!

I've tried molehill soil in the past and its too dense to use for seeds.

[Snadger]

Forgive me VC, but is it your intention to use the same soil for carrots year in year out or will you leave it in last years bed and create a new bed with new soil each year?
I would be worried about monoculture of carrots in the same soil every year but if new soil was used I couldn't see a problem.

Just as an aside, if your soil isn't too bad you can still rotate carrots with all other veg as I do. I sometimes think fine-ness of soil for carrots is overstated.

[rary]

That really looks a very sensible and practical idea, I do hope you keep us informed on how it works.



Well that will put the hems on that idea as it is coming over as sensible

[veggiechicken]

Snadge. think of it as a moveable carrot bed. Once each crop is over, the bed will move to a new location, have "new" compost and fresh carrot seeds to grow again - leaving a deeper square of soil behind for something else. I may have 2 "squares" on the go at once, one for growing and one for filling in readiness.

[Greenleaves]

My method was a lot more hard work than yours VC but I like your concept. I have four beds I rotate roots in this includes beetroot.

I dug out the soil to a depth of 2' and sieved the soil then mixed with compost and shredded FYM. Benefits were longer cleaner roots and good sized beets....downside was a sore back and a lot of valueble time spent.

So next time I might follow your lead

[Stan79]

It kind of makes sense... but you’ll need a decent amount of “soil” and will end up with mounds of beds all over the place. When you remove the boards the mounds will spread sideways.

I’ve got two raised beds as I needed somewhere to clear my compost bins into. They seem pretty productive so it should work but it does take a lot of lugging soil/compost/etc around.

I think the idea to have two beds - one on the go and another to fill over the course of a season makes sense.