Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat
Growing => Grow Your Own => Topic started by: Donnay on January 23, 2012, 18:52
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I'm new to allotment growing and have just taken over my first allotment. I decided to have raised beds for the main bulk of my allotment due to a back problem.
I'm just learning about crop rotation and have drafted my plan. The more I read the more confused I become. Can anyone have a look at my draft crop rotation plan below andtribe me some feedback.
Each year I will move the crops down a bed, a part fom moving onions two down. We have two onion beds because the whole family want me to gow them. Because I got my allotment towards the end of last year no beds have been manured but they have been filled with our council compost.
Bed 1 - Salad
Bed 2 - Brassicas
Bed 3 - Legumes
Bed 4 - Allium 1
Bed 5 - Allium 2
Bed 6 - Roots
Bed 7 - Potatoes
Any advice would be welcomed, please remember I'm new to this!
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Looks OK in principle.
(Assuming all beds are the same size), are you really going to want to cover the same area with salads as you do potatoes?
Are you hoping to grow courgettes and squash?
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This looks as though it will work and make sure the soil does not become too depleted.
If your soil is acid, then some lime for your brassicas would be helpful (don't add manure at the same time as it will react)
perhaps you could dig a trench where your runner beans are going to grow, and fill it with your kitchen waste, which will help retain moisture for them too
Manure for the potatoes (well rotted), or some other fertiliser as the like a good feed.
Salads like something like chicken pellets
and I notice you have no courgettes or other sqaushes. Is that because you donlt like them?
(I seem to have posted at the same time as Yorkie)
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All the beds are the same size and no I don't like courgettes. I do want to grow squash, i was going to put some squash in the Roots bed with beetroot and parsnips. My beds are 13ft long and 4ft wide.
Is this not right?
I've got some chicken pellets and have brought some growmore. In fact someone has given me some sheer rockdust. I have read the reviews and rockdust seems great, not sure if you no of it!
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Squash plants do usually get quite big leaves, so you need to think about then shading other plants as they trail.
There should be enough space in the bed for all three if you organise them, or you could add a squash in here and there for some variety --- they don't seem to carry any diseases over.
Rockdust is for use where there is a mineral deficiency, but it would do no harm, I think.
Hope that helps a bit :D
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Thanks for the advice I really appreciate it.
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I don't have a lot of space and now grow all my salads in containers which they don't seem to mind. That frees up ground for potatoes, etc which we get through a lot of. Perhaps you could tweek your plan to make more room for 'staple' crops.
Agree with sunshine, if you have a healthy soil there's no point adding rock dust. The micronutrients it provides are used in such small quantities by plants that it would take years of intensive growing before you noticed any depletion. On the other hand, if you have a very poor soil then go ahead.