Planning and Rotation

At this time of the year the evenings are already darkening early so gardening can only really happen for me when the weekend comes. This, of course, leaves me far too much time on my hands to agonise over every detail. What goes where and with what else and when? I suppose a true gardener would just get on with it and learn from their mistakes. There's certainly no shortage of good advice to be found on allotments... generations of knowledge is readily available and is often contradictory. What I relish about this garden of mine is that I can do as I please without looking over my shoulder at the sagely shaken heads of those who know better. I expect that I'll become one myself one day but for now I want to learn from my own mistakes. Little understood and over-researched mistakes, that is. But knowledge will come with time. I can wait. I will have to.

Crop Rotation. I'm not at-all sure that I can be trusted with this concept. On the one hand it brings to mind prairie style land management and, on the other, well, rotation itself; the idea of movement, change and the constantly evolving world around us. Its no easier to perceive rotation whilst admiring a field of wheat waving in the breeze than it is to feel the rotation of the earth or even of the galaxy.



Even on a small plot it is necessary to rotate your crops to discourage an accumulation of soil-borne pests and to prevent the depletion of soil nutrients. Even weeds can be controlled easier as they get less chance to settle in alongside a particular crop. This makes perfect sense.
Sue rotates my underpants in my 'smalls' drawer to prevent the same few favoured pairs from becoming worn out quicker than the others. The principle and effect is similar.
My original plan was to have a three bed rotation system with a fourth bed for perennials (I still can't think of anything other than asparagus for this group) But on such a small parcel of land I am now thinking that one metre strips of planting will allow for more movement. Even after paths have been worked into the plan I now have maybe eight seperate beds to rotate with.

Unless you are lucky enough to have masses of space it is necessary to divide your intended crops into three main groups:

Brassicas, Legumes, Potatoes

Brassicas are green and cabbagey but in this group is also included swedes and turnips. Legumes are peas and beans and can be grouped together with the onion family. The potato family includes tomatoes peppers and aubergines (you thought that your family was strange!) and can be grouped together with the Umbelliferaes; carrots, celery, and parsnips.

Got that? No, me neither. Never mind though, its going to be a long winter.