[Staddy Coastie]

Hi
New to all this and hope someone can out me right.
I am on the south coast of Devon so climate tends to be generally very mild and the growing season seems to be very extended at the moment.
According to the rotation guidelines I have been following and on this site my roots & onions should go in the beds vacated by my brassicas. Now how does that work if my brassicas are still cropping well into January yet I am meant to have got my garlic planted in November/December? Any suggestions please.

[Yorkie]

Welcome to the site 

Don't know the answer but I'm sure someone else will!

[Fisherman]

Plant your garlic in 3 inch pots now and let them start growing. Once your brassicas have finished just dig over the bed, sprinkle with a bit of fish, blood and bone and plant out the garlic which will have formed roots and shoots. Best to keep the garlic in pots outside or in a cold frame. You can do the same with onion sets and onion seed.

As a rough guide: -
You can buy spring planted garlic which can be planted from January through to March (Solent Wight and the like).
Winter planted garlic can be potted up in November through to January and planted out in March.

[New shoot]

Although crop rotation has a purpose, I wouldn't agonise.  Put your garlic in where you have room and where you get cope with not getting that space back until about July 

[Trillium]

I agree with new shoot. I pop them in wherever there's an adequate space for them as well as a spot I haven't planted them in for at least 3 years. Don't really follow rotation 'rules' myself since I manure every year regardless.

The point of rotation is best use of the steadily declining fertility and to limit disease buildup of any particular crop in one place. If you mess up a bit, life won't end.

[plopleuk]

my rotation is like this

garlic and onions
potatoes, roots
brassicas
legumes

copied a books suggestion

[sunshineband]

A thought for next year perhaps --- I plant autumn onions and garlic in the bed I dug maincrop potatoes out of, rather than after cabbages etc.

As Trillium said, there are lots of variations on the theme, so squeezing garlic in now where you have space will be just fine. I would suggest you avoid where you grew onoins last year if you can though

[gavinjconway]

Hi StaddieC... use the main tab at the top of the page called "growing Help"  which is info from John Harrison the owner of this site - there is loads of info..

here is a link to crop rotations.. http://www.allotment-garden.org/vegetable/crop-rotation/index.php

As garlic is a long time in the ground just put it in some spare ground.. after circubita / marrows / squashes if possible.

I will be using a 4 year rotation of
Potatoes
Legumes
Circubita
Onions / Roots

[Staddy Coastie]

Many thanks and impressed by such help already, looks like being a reasonable w/e so shall put into practice your suggestions.