Allotment Design

[Currysniffa]

As this is the first year on our plot I left most of the beds alone and I just dug them over and planted them up, over the autumn and winter I'm thinking of redesigning the plot which brings me to the point of this thread, do any of you grapes know of and good websites/software where I can design and save/print the design?

Thanks for looking

Chris

[Paul Wagland]

Hi Chris,

I have used Growveg.com and found it very good. There is an annual fee (£15 I think) but it saves your scheme from year to year and does clever things like warn you to rotate crops etc.

The blog is very good too.

Paul

[Flummery]

I am in awe of peole who design their allotment. I bung things in spaces!

[Currysniffa]

Thanks Paul I've have kinda looked at Growveg.com but I only want to use a design program/software because I'm pants a drawing I used a browser
based program a few years ago but can for the life of me remember what it was called

Flummery that's what I've done this season and I don't mind working that way but some of the beds I inherited are just to wide and I can't reach the middle to plant or harvest, so I thought I move the beds around a little bit and make the plot work better, I was just hoping I could find a program/software to help draw it so I can see what can go where...


Thanks

[Snadger]

Layed out my potager style plot using graph paper!

I've evolved into a Flum now though.........I just blag it!

[Jeanied]

Me too, I shove stuff in where and when. I have laid out my main plot into deep beds with timber edging - with some other beds for more permanent fruit planting. I just try and remember a good rotation - the one that has stuck in my mind is potatoes, followed by legumes, followed by roots, followed by brassicas. So as long as I follow that rotation, it doesn't matter what I bung in - it just needs to be ready when I am!

[rogesse]

I started out designing the plot, graph paper and all but am definately in the 'bung it in' camp now!

[Snadger]

Me too, I shove stuff in where and when. I have laid out my main plot into deep beds with timber edging - with some other beds for more permanent fruit planting. I just try and remember a good rotation - the one that has stuck in my mind is potatoes, followed by legumes, followed by roots, followed by brassicas. So as long as I follow that rotation, it doesn't matter what I bung in - it just needs to be ready when I am!

Brassica's follow legumes........allegedly! But who cares, as long as you don't follow like with like!

[Flummery]

I've evolved into a Flum now though.........I just blag it!

Damn! I've been rumbled!

[Mrs Dobby]

The first eyar we had our plot I not only planned it out, but worked out exact spacing and how many plants of each variety we could get into each bed, took me a full day (in the winter when I was bored cos it was raining!)

Nowadays we've evolved into a 5 bed system of crop rotation (the 2 plots have 5 columns of beds in them), and generally we grow one column of each type of veg, 1 for spuds, 1 for onions / garlic / leeks, 1 for legumes and roots, 1 for brassicas and 1 for sweetcorns and cucurbits (plus the permanent fruit beds and greenhouses).

This seems to work for us, gives us good crop rotation and makes it simple to remember where everything is going for the coming year!

HTH!

[Currysniffa]

Graph paper of course, why didn't I think of that

I don't what to plan what's going in the beds on paper, I just want to rearrange the beds a little, What I think I'm going to do/try is draw the plot on some graph paper ( thank you ) add the shed and the path that's staying where it is then cut the beds to scale out of some coloured card then I can have a play around with the design till I'm happy with it

I'm definitely a bung plants a space kind of gardener whilst trying to keep one eye on rotation

Thanks grapes

[piskieinboots]

I'm a bunger now too

[SarzWix]

I need to do the same job CS, my plot definitely needs re-arranging; now that I've moved into the plot next-door too, I've got fences and paths in totally the wrong place, and am wasting space with 3 separate composting areas. It's a pain of a job, but it needs doing

I like your coloured cardboard shapes idea, I might have to pinch it

[Flummery]

I'm a bunger now too

We should start a club!

[piskieinboots]

We should start a club!

Blimey yes!! This is a first for you and I - isn't it

ETA: I'm hoping if I follow you enough you'll free me of ironing tea-towels and hankies, which I have 'just' done however, I will still love those 'CE' thingies