Digging one Bed

[RedRuth]

I know some people here are dedicated to the no dig model so just ignore this thread. I have a 3 year crop rotation on plot number 1 that goes Legumes -> Potatoes -> Brassicas -> Legumes etc. I always manure the Brassica bed and use my own compost on the others. My question is - If you could only dig one bed a year which would it be? In other words which crop would benefit most from digging? I have mostly perennials in Plot 2 but rotate an Allium bed and a bed almost entirely for Peas and I don't dig either of them.

[Snoop Puss]

If it were me, the potatoes. But I'd still be generous with the compost.

[Mr Bones]

I'd go for potatoes too. Brassicas and onions prefer firm ground.

[quanglewangle]

+1 for potatoes. Having said that I am somewhere between no-dig and dig a bit before planting anything: sort of not-dig-much.

I get a couple of tractor scoops of manure delivered over the wall and most of it goes on where potatoes are going. (The rest is used as mulch on a decorative perennial boarder)

Rotation is a bit hit and miss due to poor memory and indifferent planning.

[RedRuth]

Thanks for your replies, I had a feeling it would be Potatoes! I ran out of time this year and wondered if there was a different strategy.

[Jungle Jane]

If your potatoes are going in the legume bed it won’t really need digging. I wouldn’t dig the potato bed now if you’ll be planting brassicas in it,just dig out any volunteers if there are any. That’s a different strategy,involving not much digging