Allotment plan

[Vince G]

If anyone is interested, here's a plan of my 1½ plot allotment. Not quite to scale as the numbered plots are all roughly the same size albeit different shapes. I rotate these clockwise - 2025 rotation shown. You might ask where the herbs are - outside my kitchen door in half an old whisky barrel!

[Containergardener]

That's fab Vince G I'm limited on my space but gives me some ideas. Thanks.

[peacegarden2024]

interesting but seem a to bit general when come to
the location of the plants..

[Snoop Puss]

You put me to shame, VG. I just draw boxes on graph paper and annotate with the name of the plant family. For my abandoned patch that I'm going to resurrect next year, I even just do straight lines as the beds are all the same and run east-west, so not much variation there!

Your whole plot looks good, but your seating area must be especially lovely. One question: do you rotate your climbing beans or do they always stay in the same place?

Also, but not plan-related, do you make your own cider? I was looking for Little Weed, by the way!

[Penellype]

I thought I was well organized, but that is something else!

[Andraste]

I'd love to have that sort of space Vince G, I'm particularly envious of your flower & asparagus beds & the fruit trees too. Never mind, with work commitments I'm a weekend plotter mostly so it's probably for the best that we only have a 1/2 plot - we just about keep on top of it (we're certainly not the best plot on the site, probably not top 5, but we walked around for a nosey the other day & there are a good few we can feel superior to ).

There are a few things in your plan that tweaked my interest in your 'roots' section & I'm off to google whatever 'edamame' might turn out to be

I think it's a good idea to be a bit general in the planning. I've made detailed plans before & something always changes whether through failure/success (my own, the weather, pests etc.), unplanned donations of plants, impulse seed purchase, the list goes on! I must admit I did do a ridiculously thorough plan last year (for this year) in an effort to make sure I allow enough space for each particular plant . All the same, we still ended up putting things in different areas of the beds (but I promise we stuck to rotation plans but OH has a tendency to just plant where he lands before I have chance to use my pointing stick lol) & we grew a few more of some things & less of others. I think as we gain in experience that knowledge of how many you can 'squeeze in' is 'all up top' & not so important to plan out every inch of each bed.

[Bren In Pots]

That's a well thought out and easy to follow plan Vince, thanks for sharing with us.

[bramble]

Fabulous use of space Vince, so envious.

[Nicos]

Most impressed Vince!…..I used to draw on graph paper every year when we were in the uk.
Nowadays it’s just a vague rotation and sticking excess plants in anywhere there seems to be a space!
Asking for trouble I know…

[Vince G]

Sorry for the delay in responding, been having a little break on the south coast with Mrs G, just got back earlier today.

Thanks all for the kind comments, but not everything goes as planned as we all know, so although my plots are genuinely laid out as per the diagram, there are many failures. For instance I've got back today and all the runners have now gone over, lettuces and fennel has bolted etc etc. I probably try and do too much to be honest and this irritating but necessary thing called work keeps getting in the way! But nothing ventured eh....

[Vince G]

I'd love to have that sort of space Vince G, I'm particularly envious of your flower & asparagus beds & the fruit trees too. Never mind, with work commitments I'm a weekend plotter mostly so it's probably for the best that we only have a 1/2 plot - we just about keep on top of it (we're certainly not the best plot on the site, probably not top 5, but we walked around for a nosey the other day & there are a good few we can feel superior to ).

There are a few things in your plan that tweaked my interest in your 'roots' section & I'm off to google whatever 'edamame' might turn out to be

I think it's a good idea to be a bit general in the planning. I've made detailed plans before & something always changes whether through failure/success (my own, the weather, pests etc.), unplanned donations of plants, impulse seed purchase, the list goes on! I must admit I did do a ridiculously thorough plan last year (for this year) in an effort to make sure I allow enough space for each particular plant . All the same, we still ended up putting things in different areas of the beds (but I promise we stuck to rotation plans but OH has a tendency to just plant where he lands before I have chance to use my pointing stick lol) & we grew a few more of some things & less of others. I think as we gain in experience that knowledge of how many you can 'squeeze in' is 'all up top' & not so important to plan out every inch of each bed.

Thanks Andraste, on the roots front, the fennel bolted and the chicory formed only spindly plants that weren't good enough for lifting and forcing. The salsify and scorzonera had really poor germination so won't get many of them which is a shame as they're delicious.

Edamame is a fancy Japanese name for soya beans and they got a bit trendy when sushi was a new novelty as you often used to get a few of them with your box of sushi. But lightly boiled in salted water they're a nice beer snack