[titch]

Finally getting a lottie, shoudl be 1st march - field all ploughed and rotavated, not had nowt but grass and thistles in it for years
Question one - what if anything should i dig in and how long to leave it before i can plant in it.

i the plot siize is 4 metres x 40 metres - and at home i have 4 raised beds 4ft x 5ft.

 question  2 i am pondering is what to grow in which site - i want to grow the following;
runners, broads, spuds (salad and main), peas, carrots, swede, broc, cauli, cabbage, sprouts, parsnips, onions, leeks, garlic, sweetcorn, lettuce, beetroot (other things like peppers, toms, chiliis i will do at home in the g house) oh and raspberries and rhubarb if i can find someone with crown to spare

just wondered what to put where, and thought you all might have some helpful thoughts about it
thanks

[Bombers]

I've got a similar layout/space to you Titch, and the general rule I follow is stuff that takes a lot of looking after i do at home, and stuff that takes up loads'o room I grow at the lottie. (spuds/Sweetcorn/Brassicas/parsnip etc (I don't have enough space for peas, but I guess they would be best down there too)

[Yorkie]

I think everything you've listed would be fine on the lotty - except that I'd grow the salad / beetroot at home cos it won't travel as well, probably needs more looking after, and it's always nice to get really freshly-picked things for salads.

As for the other stuff at home, it's entirely up to you - something pretty (e.g. beans) or if the lotty is quite a way away, perhaps peas and corn as they turn to starch within minutes of picking.

In any event, you'll need to rotate things at home as well as on the lotty, so pace yourself.

And there's nothing stopping you having the same type of crop in more than place  

[garddwr]

I also have a very similar situation but I was planning on growing everything there as it is in a feild a 1 or 2 mins walk from the  houe and its 16metres by 25 metres.

[titch]

i hadnt though about doubling up  what a great idea
have some spring cabbage and broc/psbroc in beds at the mo, but did think salads would do at home, will prob do the same with peas and scorn, hadnt thought about the starch thing

thanks

[Salmo]

Nobody seems to want to answer Q1 so I will.

It will have plenty of organic matter from the turf so no point in adding muck or compost.

If it is ploughed out of grass it may be acid so it is worth testing to see if it needs lime. If some of the grass field is left walk over it and look for indicator plants. If it has clover you are probably OK. If it has sorrell then it is probably acid.

It is probably short of phosphate.

[titch]

thanks for answering q 1 salmo - have  little kit so when i know which bit of the field is mine and its ploughed will test it and see what it needs - i guess i wont need to adjust all of it depending on what i grow where?
of course i may be and probably am totally wrong  :blink:- newbie see
thanks for answering that q