[whitehill1]

I have 2 plots, with few raspberries here and there, one brassica patch and one onionpatch. there are 2 small strawberry patches as well.

around 60% is dug and and less weedy. and 40% is under plastic mulch.

Also I fallowed as many seed sales and bought which I really don't need as well.

I visualise every veg all over the plots. this is my second year. and first year with this approach I grown better crops for the veg I have not planned  like beans,beetroot and corn and unable to care the veg which actually planned like tomato, aubergines.

any suggetions how to devide the 2 plots. I plan to grow spuds (3 or 4 types) brassicas, alliums,leafyveg, all sorts of beans and tomato.. and coming to roots beet roots was sucessful last year and do it again. others I am better to leave them to make self easy.

 though everyones priorities are different, so main intention is to use most of the dug and undug space (using plastic mulch)

so if I want to select the crops to plant through ,mulch. I am getting all of them except leafy greens .


so If I have 50% dug and 50 % undug area of 2 * 10 rod plots. how can I divide the crops among them 

[Chrysalis]

Hi.  May I suggest you read the articles on Allotment planning and crop rotation?

Try these http://www.allotment-garden.org/crop-rotation/index.php and http://www.allotment-garden.org/allotment/index.php

The main site has even more good articles.  Happy gardening!

[BabbyAnn]

It might help also if you put your location in your profile as it may have been some crops are better suited than others for your area - tomatoes and aubergines like it sheltered, warm and sunny, and to be fair was not that wonderful last year on all accounts.  Some varieties are a bit fussy and might be better under cover like a greenhouse - they will need pollinating though.  And as for aubergines - even the most experienced gardener don't always do so well with them.

Also I fallowed as many seed sales and bought which I really don't need

LOL - I think we all do that and then realise the plot isn't as big as we thought 

[whitehill1]

Hi I am in cambridge. last year I had some bush tomatos outside , yeilds were good, though was less experience to make most of it.

how can I group my fallowing crops into 7 groups so that planning gets better and helps in rotation


1.brassicas (we love them but not eat as many) so 6 plants each of any should do

2.alliums (onions,shallots,spring onions, leeks all around 50 each)

3. leafy greens (spinach,calaloo, lettuce..may be herbs as well)around 6sq.m patch for all together)

4.want to make few plastic hoop frames for chilli plants  and aubergines ..thogh I grow some in the greenhouse which is not that big.  love green chillis ..)

5.Tomatos ~( mostly prefer staggered planting. so that I can care few er the better at any time. so mostly 30 plants out side in 3 batches.

6.sweetcorn,beans and squash as many... beans for drying...squash for winter and sweet corn as much for freezing.

7. peas and mangetout

8. few cucumbers outdoor

9 courgette, marrow and bottle gourds

10. garlic

11.Potatos (mainly for 30 seed potatos all together) and one or two here and there

12. beetroots (in staggered planting to get 10 roots a month)

13. radishes

14.Fenugreek (I like to harvest them as microgreens, or greens or if fails then treat it as green menure)

15.bush beans for french,runner and barlotti

16. optional root veg if only I can fit in


I can divide my available space other than pereneals into 7 patches of different sizes.

[whitehill1]

Seems I made it to groups to plant togetether side by side or together

1&3

1.brassicas (we love them but not eat as many) so 6 plants each of any should do

3. leafy greens (spinach,calaloo, lettuce..may be herbs as well)around 6sq.m patch for all together)

2&10

2.alliums (onions,shallots,spring onions, leeks all around 50 each)
10.Garlic

4&5

4.want to make few plastic hoop frames for chilli plants  and aubergines ..thogh I grow some in the greenhouse which is not that big.  love green chillis ..)

5.Tomatos ~( mostly prefer staggered planting. so that I can care few er the better at any time. so mostly 30 plants out side in 3 batches.

6&7

6.sweetcorn,beans and squash as many... beans for drying...squash for winter and sweet corn as much for freezing.

7. peas and mangetout

8&9

8. few cucumbers outdoor

9 courgette, marrow and bottle gourds

11,12 &13

11.Potatos (mainly for 30 seed potatos all together) and one or two here and there

12. beetroots (in staggered planting to get 10 roots a month)

13. radishes

14,15

14.Fenugreek (I like to harvest them as microgreens, or greens or if fails then treat it as green menure)

15.bush beans for french,runner and barlotti

[whitehill1]

Assumptions:


1. Assume I can plant leafy greans along with brassicas. so this bed need to be well dug and weeded one . or should I better plant brassicas throgh weed membrane and sow leafygreens on sides so they get better light and they are better reachable.

2.Alliums and garlic so far planting here and there. and bringing them to one place is a bit of challenge. still it is worthy. again can I plant green menures as mulch or leafy greens..or just weed membrane? ( as planning to grow as much of 2 plots of 10 rods..can cope with weeds much)

3. Can I plant tomatos and chillis in undug ,plant through weed membrane

or

dedicate a roughly dug patch with taproots not yet removed, and plant through mulch



4. same as above. shall I plant  the corn, beans and squash in undug patch with planting holes ..and leave it up.

or use the roughly dug patch with only much weed growing but contains all weed roots.


or use well dug patch

5.  repeat question 4 for the courgettes , cucumbers and marrows.

6.Potatos are planted before many so the question 4 repeats here as well. though first earlied will be set in well prepared soil and rest to adjust with above 3 groups.


please correct/suggest

[mjg000]

Suggest you draw a rough plan of you plot.... then.... decide what you really want to eat..... then..... work out when to sow what you really want to eat and when it will be able to go out onto the plot.

for example:
Onions and garlic could be in the ground now but will stay there until July. 
Potatoes go in late March/ early April and new potatoes can be followed by next Autumns leeks after about 3 months, if it's maincrop potatoes then they can be there until August/September. 
Get yourself a calendar from the web which will show what goes in when and when the harvest is - as mentioned in an earlier post there are lots of guides and threads on here.  Your needs and successes will change year by year so suggest you cut down on the full range of what you are planning, simplify each bed, and get your beds sorted out and ready, keep them small enough to reach into for weeding and harvesting.  Keep the half already covered under cover until you are in control of the other half of the plot, and do try to get rid of the perennial weeds like couch grass and bindweed if you can before you start. 

I have found that I prefer to do small successional rows or small blocks of things like carrots, beetroot, lettuce and they can easily be accommodated at the ends of beds or put in to fill a gap that suddenly arises if something fails.  Larger crops like potatoes or brassicas are traditionally planted together so that it's easier to keep them covered for protection or because they have particular soil requirements, Sweet corn for example needs to be grown in a block not a row. 

[whitehill1]

seems explaing things using rough plan makes it more clear. will do as I can.

couch grass is less of concern now. as I worked through it in the first year.

I have found that I prefer to do small successional rows or small blocks of things like carrots, beetroot, lettuce and they can easily be accommodated at the ends of beds or put in to fill a gap that suddenly arises if something fails.

Yes I too want small succession planting of crops that meture fast. I like this tip to plant them at the end of beds. I was actually thinking to put garlic in the central block of the patch and plant these successions around it....but I prefer the idea of planting at the ends.

peas, bushbeans, leafyveg,beetroot,lettuce will fallow in the ends then

Your needs and successes will change year by year so suggest you cut down on the full range of what you are planning,

potatos ,beetroot and courgettes and tomatos are my must to grow veg.

we are mostly veggies,I buy brassicas rare from shop and never bothered for squash. these 2 are my fancy things now. as they taste better if home grown. and squash, falling more of to those colorful fruits ..so might compromise on these.
peas and mangetouts mostly I will try to hold them at home..
 

So it is lot better to plan all potatos and all brassicas in one location as much possible

[whitehill1]

seems tomatos also joining the sald crops in my plan. so I try planting in successive as much possible at the end of few beds like  bush beans. this is to have a check that I do not plant too many tomatos and too closer at one place.  as I did this last year with separate tomato patch ..made them all suffer with blight.

so no separate patch for tomatos..


so for example one small area is planted with starting from one edge  lettuce, leafygreens, beets,bush beans and tomatos at the end.

[whitehill1]

Tomatos & marigold

 at the end of edges of couple of beds


Courgettes and calendula :

I need just a couple of courgettes a week but  plan around 5 to 10 plants .so Use an undug strip ,which will be covered till then.  the patch is mulched eventually.

Brassicas:

Clearf the taproots in roughly dug patch little at one go and plant brassicas as and when the 2 lines are prepared. plant leafy veg in between and bush beans or tomatos at each end.


sow the netting for brassicas can protect leafy veg and give them partial shade


Squash and 3 sisters :


might suit a big patch with half dug and half undug but covered through winter.

allocate well dug area for 3 sisters and rest of excess squash  plants set  through weed membrane  (squash is for fun so no much digging this year but close to water source.



Potatos:

Patatos will go into dug 'strips'  which is undug now  in succession like 10 seeds  at every fort night.

so above all can go in one plot which I started with few months ago. if time permits to get them ready.



2nd plot would be free to do the rest .It is  75% dug and rest is half cleared..mostly summer crops like beans,peas,beets,leafy,cucumbers etc.

2nd plot already have onions and brassicas planted.

shall plant some broadbeans tomorrow . in the patch where I had tomatos last year. (now I know I can use well dug patch for broad beans after allocationg space for my mains )

[Yorkie]

Some random thoughts on some of what you've thought through above ... 

How many people are you thinking of feeding?  5 - 10 courgette plants will lead to you losing all your friends when they start running in the opposite direction to you, after you've been trying to palm millions of courgettes off on them for weeks ...    Most people have no more than 3 for a family, so perhaps sow 5 and plan to give a couple or more away.

Aubergines and peppers (chillies).  These really will be happier in the greenhouse.  So, probably, will the tomatoes.

Peas and beans are the same family so many people might grow them together.  Avoid onions too close to beans as the beans won't be happy.

Re. 3 sisters: if you're thinking of trying the full technique, many members here have found that it doesn't really work well in the UK.  It's designed for the prairies of N America.  I do grow squash round the outside of my sweetcorn square so there's no difficulties in principle in them being close together.

Spuds and succession sowing - not usually done.  However, if you don't plan to grow maincrop varieties, you'd probably get away with it.

[whitehill1]

yorkie, we both and 2y old .. Last year I planted many..but had mostly enough for me ... I might do well this year with experiences..but not giving them well prepared bed too.


I need to plan for a freezer and chopper/slicer......dehydrator also is it ... hope not so

thought beans will give some feed to corn..to make line of squash plant next to corn, incase few vines sprawl into corn and stop weeds?

spuds succession is aiming between end of march to mid may. and august . will plant maximum of 10 seed potatos at one go. trail this way to check If I can cope with watering if necessary. and spread the harvest.

as I eat more rice than potato. see If tasty spuds lessen my rice bowl size