[stompy]

Hi all,

Ok i have a slight problem, I think!
I have 5  beds (will have) and i want a 4 year rotation "but" i don't have enough room in my brassica bed to grow everything i need!
How do i go about rotating if i need 2 beds for the brassicas as i will need to move them forward by 2 beds each year but this will put the rest of the rotation out and the best rotation i can get on the brassicas is 2 years without them being re grown in a the same bed!

[mattwragg94]

hmm ive been thinking on how to answer this since you posted it. and the answer ive come up with is that if:
bed one; brassicas
bed two; root veg
bed three;brassicas
bed four; alliums
bed four; legumes

just an example, this would give you a three year crop rotation instead of the four  - but i think that would be the best way to go about it.

[mumofstig]

a simple way to rotate - is simply to avoid planting the same thing in the same place again, rather than get het up about what follows what in the plan.
it certainly makes things a lot easier  

Rotation plans are the ideal, and precious few of us actually manage that IMO.

[stompy]

I did it like this:-

bed one; brassicas
bed two; brassicas
bed three; roots alliums
bed four; legumes
bed five; potatoes

This way i can get it to 1 year free of brassicas and they go back in one of the beds they were in previousely  

Argh, i don't have club root so don't know how bad this would be?
How do others do it, surely im not the only one that doesn't have enough room for them.
The first bed is filled with 9 sprout plants then the rest with calabresse which leaves no space for sweedes and kale (etc)
We like our calabresse (broccoli).

[DD.]

I do it mum's way.

Try not to repeat and if I see a gap something goes in it.

I certainly don't get the calculator out and plan it to the last square mm.

[stompy]

I know i know, but i like things to be just so

I think it's my engineering background that make me think and plan logically and formally 

Argh, im afflicted with something Argh   

I shal try to be less precise and specific and, ohh, no use.   

[savbo]

how big are your beds? Can you divide them in half? then you have 10 beds to play with your rotation...and you might even get some companion planting benefits...

I have 10-12' beds so often divide them in half with different things in either end...as long as you keep a record you should be OK

sav

[stompy]

If i divide them i will then need 4 beds instead of 2 

[Yorkie]

If i divide them i will then need 4 beds instead of 2 

True, unless you actually only need 3 of the half beds and not the full 3.

[stompy]

If i divide them i will then need 4 beds instead of 2 

True, unless you actually only need 3 of the half beds and not the full 3.

Now thats just going to get way too complicated 

[Auntiemogs]

I think it's my engineering background that make me think and plan logically and formally 

Argh, im afflicted with something Argh   

Yup, me too Stompy.  Drives me crackers sometimes!  Engineeritis!   

[Christine]

I know i know, but i like things to be just so

I think it's my engineering background that make me think and plan logically and formally 

Erm could you plan for the weather to be just so and for the pests to be eaten by appropriate predators at the appropriate times as well please. 

[TheSpartacat]

How about every third year, you only grow one bed of brassicas   Sort of a brassica lean year? Might free up a bed to try something new thats non-brassica... so every third year is an experimental one!! 

[mattwragg94]

at 'thespartacat' great minds think alike, i put that earlier on 

[starry]

I know i know, but i like things to be just so

I think it's my engineering background that make me think and plan logically and formally 

Argh, im afflicted with something Argh   

I shal try to be less precise and specific and, ohh, no use.   

blimey is that what my husband suffers from (him being an engineer) speaks in mm complicates EVERYTHING by thinking to hard drives me nuts he trys to work out everything before it happens just in case it might which is why its now my allotment and not ours