Grow Your Own Magazine

Just looking for some advise on how to convert our paddock for vegetable production. Would prefer not to use chemicals.

Any advice would be much appreciated.

Have a 48hp tractor, plough and rotavator.

Thanks.

I have 5 acres which I have divided into six sections - potatoes, brassicas, legumes, onions / carrots , other crops and the final area houses my shed, entrance road, tunnel, drying racks, compost heap etc etc.
I have these areas divided by tracks wide enough for tractor to travel down.
So, if you don't wanna use chemicals, you need to plough the turf in first - probably the back end of the year would be the best time to do this, leave the ground over the winter to let the weather break it down, then rotavate it into whichever areas or beds you want.
Your main problem will be weed control - I spray my bare ground before I plant anything but that is all I do - after that, it's hand pulling, hoeing or scarifying.
Weed control is much easier if done mechanically - try and find yourself a scarifier or an old inter-row cultivator that your tractor will pull.
Also you could consider griowing a lot of your crops in ridges - which makes weed control a lot easier too. If you fancy this, locate an old Ferguson ridge plough - try and get one with the bars that enable you to set the three shares level with each other as opposed to the centre share being slightly forward as is the norm. This is not strictly necessary unless you can get hold of a Feruson Potato Planter, then it really does become very handy.
Anyway, the final point you will need to consider is watering, or more correctly, irrigation, of your crops. Do you have a private water supply, cause if you are thinking about irrigating on a metered water system, the disc on your meter will spin so fast it will take off.
There is loads of other advice I can give you - would be easier if you PM me with specific questions and I'll do what I can to help.
Good luck

__________________
Rat

British by birth
Scottish by the Grace of God

[size="1"]Journal updated Tuesday 5th August

Just an update.

No major progress to date.

First glasshouse is being installed middle of September a 20ft x 10ft and second one 40ft x 12ft by the end of the year. Cold frames and an area of raised beds should be in place by February 2009.

Barn has been pulled down to make way for a new barn to house tractor, equipment, cold store and upper floor office.

Planning on turning over sections of the paddock at the end of the year ready for planting out.

Also looking in to the installation of a multi-span glasshouse.

Could anyone direct me to information on protected production of cherries and plums?

Thanks, NDJ.

- thanks for the advice Sewer Rat.