confused about crop rotation.

Am a bit confused about the finer points of rotation as this is my first year of veg growing. Sorry if this is a daft question, by the way.

I only have 3 veg beds, I have grown leeks, onions and beans in one bed and broccoli and spuds in the one bed earlier this year. I only just built the third bed so still clearing the weeds.

I have ordered onions, shallots and garlic sets to be planted this autumn, I intend to put these all in bed one (when spuds are are lifted).  Does this mean that if i want to plant more onions in spring next year these can't go in either of the 2 beds I already have planted up. :oops:

Probably a bit too late to ask now, but how successful are autumn planted onions ?

Also where should I plant carrots or can they go in with anything, so long as they aren't in same place they've been in previous year.

Thanks for any advice you can offer.  

Well....

Don't panic :-) crops will grow even if you don't rotate them. You rotate to avoid build up of disease and  break the cycle of certain pests.
It's not the end of the world if a legume follows a legume or you grow your onions in the same place for two consecutive years.

There are three main veg groups. The whole idea is that no member of a group should follow another of the same group on the same patch of land.

Shuffling things round gets you a gap of three years between successive crops.

1. Legumes

   Beans and Peas
   Also
   Tomatoes, peppers,celery,celeriac and squashes

2. Brassicas

    cabbage,cauli,radishes, broccolli, swedes, turnips, chinese cabbage etc

3. Roots

   carrots, parsnips,beetroot, spinach, chard, onions, leeks, garlic, potatoes


The main rule of rotation :

Brassicas follow legumes ...because they use the nitrogen fixed in the soil by legume roots.

So...

Year one....

Bed 1.  Legumes
       2. Brassicas
       3. Roots

Year two

Bed 1. Brassica
       2. Roots
       3 . Legumes

Year three

Bed 1. Roots
       2. Legumes
       3. Brassica

Then back to year one. If it gets confusing draw out a plan and stick it in the shed BUT remember you are only limiting the pests by rotating and
failure to do so for one season will most likely do no harm.