[sunshineband]

Growster I find that keeping the veg beds in rotations of four (and one of five to allow for squash & sweecorn) makes it easier for me not to get completely mix muddled when someone gives me those odd few cabbages you mention, or a crop lasts longer in the ground than I thought it would (autumn onions for me last year)

I like that theory, KC, it does seem that we're getting into a series of five beds for peas, five for beans, five for brassicas, four for spuds etc, and your idea simplifies the sytem pretty damn well! Thank you!

I rather like seeing the different beds with stuff in all dotted around, and of course, your sytem still allows for that, because the chard is way over to the left, while the leeks are still in the middle etc, so there's still plenty to look at!

edit to fix quote

You know me, Growster... a simple sort at heart 

I also like the plot to look good and I do enjoy sitting and just looking ---- not to uniform and plenty of colour.

I use one end of almost all the beds as a flower strip, which adds a lot to the whole affair imho 

[Annen]

I find that keeping the veg beds in rotations of four (and one of five to allow for squash & sweecorn) makes it easier for me not to get completely mix muddled when someone gives me those odd few cabbages you mention, or a crop lasts longer in the ground than I thought it would (autumn onions for me last year)

I like that theory, KC, it does seem that we're getting into a series of five beds for peas, five for beans, five for brassicas, four for spuds etc, and your idea simplifies the sytem pretty damn well! Thank you!

I rather like seeing the different beds with stuff in all dotted around, and of course, your sytem still allows for that, because the chard is way over to the left, while the leeks are still in the middle etc, so there's still plenty to look at!

I use one end of almost all the beds as a flower strip, which adds a lot to the whole affair imho 
[/quote]


Sorry to be dense but do you mean you have four beds which you rotate within themselves and another five beds that are rotated within themselves?  I always thought that the whole plot was supposed to be rotated in thirds.

[angelavdavis]

Set in stone, set in stone - are you gardening or designing Stonehenge darling Growster!!!??!

Happy New Year by the way

Plans are made for change in the same way that rules are made for breaking in my book!  Rebellion is always the better path - and boy, isn't gardening the ultimate rebel in its own right!

I'm with Trillium on this one.  Remember Mother Nature was female and we always have the prerogative to change our minds and paths (OK, my sexist excuse!) Seriously, 2012 should have taught us no more than any year to demonstrate flexibility with our plans. 

As you know, I love a spreadsheet and have programmed Excel for over 20 years but have never been able to create a complex enough planning spreadsheet to factor in the weather, growing conditions, disease and, of course, my seed obsession and Garden Centre induced whims :blink:

I guess if I had, I would be a millionaire!

Well, I went along to the GC today and, despite some restraint (yeah right!) I bought too many potatoes again and the odd packet of stuff I didn't need....   So, considering I have taken over a half plot that still isn't anywhere near organised - in my mind I have far more planting space than I have in real life.  However, I had such an organised life previously that my gardening was the one area of fairly unplanned chaos I allowed myself and despite my life changing beyond belief - ole habits die hard!!

52 beds sound interesting - I MUST make a visit this year to your plot now the children are settled in school/nursery 

[Growster...]

You're not being dense at all, Annen! I can confuse anyone at the drop of a trug basket!

We have a 'Patch' and 'Plot' plan (one and a half allotments) where there are 52 separate beds laid out with interlinking paths.

40 are for veg in rotation, 10 are for fruit, and two are compost heap/seating and nursery, drinking areas.

The latest plans seem to be arriving at about four of five beds each for spuds, beans, peas, brassicas, leeks, onions. The rest of the beds are taken up with carrots, parsnips, salsify, chard, scorzonera etc, and as long as I can keep track about what went where, then that is the way it all works!

The fruit all stays where it is of course, but we may join several beds to make bigger spaces, as somehow, we've managed to propagate 27 blackcurrant cuttings, which, if most of them stay alive, will need more room, so we'll just dig up a path, plant them there, and cover the ground in between with Alpine straws, which are Mrs Growster's pride and joy!

Mrs G informed me this evening that the jury is out on celeriac, as it has been disappointing, but I'll show 'er...

;0)

[Growster...]

You know where we are, Angela!

Just pick up the phone!

(How's the wood BTW)?

[Chrysalis]

Got any pics?

Thanks for the offer of help with Excel, but I'm strictly a pencil and paper girl, with lots of coloured pens    

[Growster...]

Got any pics?

Thanks for the offer of help with Excel, but I'm strictly a pencil and paper girl, with lots of coloured pens    

I can't work out how to save the Excel in pic form, Chrys!

Just been trying for ages, and got nowhere, perhaps some wizard out there knows:0(

[angelavdavis]

(How's the wood BTW)?

Funny you ask, before I logged on tonight I was thinking of you as I was topping the fire up!  It has done well and, as it has been mild, it is still going strong - I did buy some small bags of logs - simply because the other wood burns so quickly, but we have only used a little of this.  So, thanks again for the recommendation.  I will give Alan another call soon...

January 7th is when the children go back after their break and I am freeeeee...!

[Annen]

I can't work out how to save the Excel in pic form, Chrys!

Just been trying for ages, and got nowhere, perhaps some wizard out there knows:0(

I don't mean to be personal, but you need to find your snipping tool. 
Thats how I change my spreadsheet to a jpeg. Try googling it or search for it on your computer through the start button.

[Growster...]

Anne, that's fantastic! Thank you so much for the tip, I've never even heard of this surgical little thing, but, I'll try and get the spreadsheet done to show you what I mean (so far the scale is awkward!

But, to celebrate, we urgently needed an aerial view of a site, without names, connotations etc, and it works beautifully on Gurgle Maps!

Celebrate? The first site I needed to identify is our very own Newburn Riverside one, not far from you!

Yer famous!

[DigIt]

It was great fun drawing up the Excel plans, Chrys, we spent many happy hours, and also realised how much we really needed as opposed to wanted to grow...

In fact, you can never have enough beans and peas, so I'm secretly very happy about it!

And anyway, the whole idea of having separate beds as opposed to thirds of the plot in rotation, means I can cock up as many plantings as I like and still get it - er - right...

Happy New Year to you too - thank you!

I use Excel a lot for plans, calendar of jobs and record keeping (sowing/planting times etc).
It saves losing lots of bits of paper which would definitely happen in our house.
 

D

[sunshineband]

Annen, in response to your query, I have  2 sets of four beds , each of which is rotated round itself  over four years, and one set of five beds whcih has its own five year rotation, as it includes squash & sweetcorn.

There are lots of models of rotation, and  if rotating your whole plot in thirds every three years works for you, then don't change it if there is no need to 

[angelavdavis]

Got any pics?

Thanks for the offer of help with Excel, but I'm strictly a pencil and paper girl, with lots of coloured pens    

I can't work out how to save the Excel in pic form, Chrys!

Just been trying for ages, and got nowhere, perhaps some wizard out there knows:0(

Just view your excel spreadsheet in print preview and use the Ctrl key + Print Screen button -it effectively copies the image onto your clipboard, you can then paste into something like mspaint, save as jpg and upload onto a host site like photobucket.

You can also use a print to jpg driver which you should be able to download free via a Google search which might a better option as I suspect a 52 bed plan will be quite detailed 

[Annen]

Anne, that's fantastic! Thank you so much for the tip, I've never even heard of this surgical little thing, but, I'll try and get the spreadsheet done to show you what I mean (so far the scale is awkward!

But, to celebrate, we urgently needed an aerial view of a site, without names, connotations etc, and it works beautifully on Gurgle Maps!

Celebrate? The first site I needed to identify is our very own Newburn Riverside one, not far from you!

Yer famous!

Glad to help.  Yes Newburn is near us but not too near thankfully!

[sunshineband]

Got any pics?

Thanks for the offer of help with Excel, but I'm strictly a pencil and paper girl, with lots of coloured pens    

I can't work out how to save the Excel in pic form, Chrys!

Just been trying for ages, and got nowhere, perhaps some wizard out there knows:0(

Just view your excel spreadsheet in print preview and use the Ctrl key + Print Screen button -it effectively copies the image onto your clipboard, you can then paste into something like mspaint, save as jpg and upload onto a host site like photobucket.

You can also use a print to jpg driver which you should be able to download free via a Google search which might a better option as I suspect a 52 bed plan will be quite detailed 

I'll keep my pencil and paper... a ruler and rubber too 

Each to their own