Crop Rotation

[Safhyre]

Hi there..... thought I had better get my head around crop rotation...sooooooooo my question is what is best to plant where?
This is my first attempt so i will be limiting myself...

Is there a web page I can look at to educate meself?

thanks

[tootles]

Have a go at doing a search on the vine first then google your heart out!

Just as I think I have it sussed I think of something else and forget where I was.
However, I work on;
Roots - carrots, parsnips, onions, leeks, beetroot,

Legumes - beans, peas, (sweetcorn is good in with dwarf beans)

Brasssicas - broccoli (calabrese), cabbage, cauliflower, sprouts

Potatoes

Greenhouse (or lucky people who live in hot places)- toms, cuecumbers, peppers,
aubergine

Although I'm now not sure where courgettes fit into this plan, but they have the beds next to my toms this year and will be followed by the beans next year.

[Rocketron]

Tootles, as I understand it, courgettes can go any where as their significance to the soil is negligible.

[tootles]

Tootles, as I understand it, courgettes can go any where as their significance to the soil is negligible.

Well their significance in the bed isn't - they are taking over

[Safhyre]

hmmm...so courgettes can be planted outside?
for some reason I thught they were for the greenhouse

[tootles]

Well I am a fair bit away from Norwich but I think you'd be ok!!

The general thing with the whole crop rotation wotsit is NOT to plant a vegetable from the same sort of group into the same ground each year. A 4 year gap/rotation is best, but 3 will do (well it had better!!!)
I have (or will have by next season) 3 large beds, each is split in two. One double bed is used for spuds and the other four singles are used for everything else - so far so good.

[zazen999]

Yes, courgettes can go outside; if I ever get my greenhouse sorted - that's the last place they will go, or I wouldn't get through the door. [Just waiting for planning permission to knock the garage down].

You can probably pop one in there early or late to extend the season. I would imagine you'd have to keep it very trimmed or it would go mental [even more mental than they go when outdoors].

Are you sure you aren't thinking of cukes?

[Snadger]

Simple really, grow a crop, harvest a crop, muck area or lime if necessary then plant another dissimilar crop! What could be simpler?

[zazen999]

Nothing Snadger; if you know the 4 crop groups and which belongs to which you're laughing.

[Snadger]

Nothing Snadger; if you know the 4 crop groups and which belongs to which you're laughing.

I don't think you are crediting gardeners with enough common sense zazen.

Anything that looks 'cabbagy' shouldn't follow cabbages. (brassicas)

Anything that looks peasy or beansy shouldn't follow peas (legumes)

Anything that has an edible root in the ground shouldn't follow carrots (roots)

Don't follow tatties with tatties!

Anything that doesn't fall into the above categories just stick wherever you like!

As I said, simple really, innit?

[zazen999]

Not necessarily, swedes are sometimes mistaken for roots and of course they are brassicas. That's what I meant about knowing which goes into which.

[Snadger]

Not necessarily, swedes are sometimes mistaken for roots and of course they are brassicas. That's what I meant about knowing which goes into which.

Ok zazen, I'll agree with you there, but they do look 'cabbagy'!

95% of the time common sense WILL dictate what crops are dissimilar to others. will you agree with that?

If I had been given a nine and a half out of ten average for my school work I wouldn't have got the cane so often!

[zazen999]

Hmm, but if you are just starting out you might not know what looks cabbagy until you've already grown it [radish, turnip, kale etc]...once you have the first year's growing under your belt I'd definitely agree with the 95% rule...

Not that it really matters the first or probably second year anyway. But I didn't realise what crops were related until I did lots of research after the first year had been and gone.

You didn't really get the cane did you???

[Snadger]

.....................You didn't really get the cane did you???

Yep, cane in junior school and fibre glass rod in Senior school. Mostly on the hand but once on the arse!

They used to have what resembled a gun cabinet with different sized canes and rods to suit the crime. You had to go and get the punishment book, the Teacher would select a weapon, and march you back to the classroom. You usually had the choice of six on the hand or one on the backside. Made the mistake of selecting the one on the arse once............wish I hadn't, sat with my backside in the cold water sink during playtime!
After being caned on the hand you were made to sign the book to say you'd had the punishment, that was the hard bit!

[zazen999]

Good grief...how times have changed. Thank goodness.