Grow Your Own Magazine

Hello! I just happened upon this site while looking for advice on my newly aquired veggie patch. I am just about to move house and have gained a 100 x 65 metre garden with the veggie patch measuring 100 x 30 metres! I have only managed to stand and stare at it so far with dropped jaw!
I know it has raspberries at the top, then a few rows of sprouts, then leeks, but I don't know what has been grown on the rest- so
1. How do I plan my stock rotation without knowing where things have been planted previously?
2. Should I start off by digging some fertiliser in?

I'm not a complete novice, but the sheer size of this plot has blown me away!
I'm planning on growing loads of potatoes, beans, marrows, pumpkins, spinach and salad leaves. If anyone can suggest anything else worth a space in my plot, I would be most grateful.

Thanks in advance

Hannah

Hello and welcome to the vine Mugwump.

Sorry, I am not able to help with your question as I have only been growing for the last couple seasons myself. I am sure, however, that you will soon have many responses from the experienced growers on here.

__________________
Happy Gardening,
Shirley

http://www.honeyjukes.co.uk

Hi Mugwump, welcome to the Grapevine.

Sounds like there's not much you can do about crop rotation this season - but that's not the end of the world. The idea of rotation is (as you probably know) to avoid the build-up of pests and disease in the soil and the depletion of nutrients - caused by growing crops with the same weaknesses / nutritional needs year after year. I'd just make a fresh start and rotate from next season.

With regards digging in, I would say it's always a good idea. It feeds the soil and improves the structure and pH balance. You want to dig in compost though, such as rotted manure, not fertiliser which is a bit different (more of a concentrated food, and often specific to the crop).

Garlic and onions are well worth growing - they take up the ground for a relatively long time but with so much space that's not really an issue for you! They're dead easy, and really rewarding.

Good luck with it all - sounds like you've got your work cut out!

Hiya Mugwump, welcome to the vine.
Marrows & Pumpkins are good, they take up a fair amount of room & they are a good way of supressing weeds. If you still need to cover some more ground, why not try some Butternut Squash.
A few types of Cabbage may be a good choice too, that is if you like Cabbage.
Then there's the Favourites for the summer. Carrots, Spring Onions, Beetroot, Turnips & Radishes.
I could go on But i wont.
Enjoy your plot

Pretend you have no idea what has been grown there in the past. When I took over my first allotment it was already planted up and I struggled every year after that to follow some sort of crop rotation based upon the original plantings, which seemed to make absolutely no sense to me at all, although I'm sure the chap who first planted it knew what he was doing. Work commitments eventually forced us to give that plot up, but a year or two later, when our situation had eased, we again got an allotment. There was nothing there but weeds but, from a crop rotation point of view, it was far easier as I then was able to do things as I wanted, made a plan and, largely, stuck to it and wished I'd done the same thing from the beginning with the other one.

Hi Mugwump

It's going to be my first 'real' year at our lottie this year and have no idea what was planted there and what will grow, sooooo my plan is: First third sow carrots, beans, onions, cabbage etc, each in their own rotation beds. This area has now been dug often enough to be workable. Second third of the plot to plant butternut and pumpkins. Good ground cover on "second dug" ground. Third third to plant tatties as this ground has only been roughly dug so will benefit the ground cover and the digging to plant/dig up.

No idea if this is sensible, but hey ho, that's our (my Dad and moi) line of attack!

__________________
Shortie

"There are only two lasting bequests we can hope to give our children; one of these is roots, the other wings" - Hodding Carter

Hi and welcome Mugwump! This is my first year with a lottie so I have no idea what I'm doing but it will be interesting going anyway!! Good luck to you ...

__________________
Life may not be the party we hoped for but since we're here we might as well dance

hi & welcome you'll get loads of good advice on here, but i wouldnt worry too much about crop rotation in your 1st year how many of us knew what had been grown where when we got our plots? unless of course you were starting a new plot from scratch

__________________
The love of gardening is a seed once sown never dies ...

Hi Mugwump, welcome to the 'Vine
I'd second the others - try not to worry what was where previously, and just start from scratch on the rotation - after all, some people don't have room to rotate at all & generally manage ok! I would decide what you want to grow, sort it into crop groups, and then decide where everything will go based on how much space each group will need.
As for what to grow - order a few seed catalogues! You'll soon have a longer list of stuff than you can possibly fit in (Just ask Seahorse!! )
A quick read through the threads on here will give you lots of ideas too, try this thread;
"Gold Standard" varieties

(By the way, is your user-name from Harry Potter? I am a bit of an HP nerd... )

__________________
Sarah

http://www.hypermobility.org


“Tell me one last thing,” said Harry. “Is this real? Or has this been happening inside my head?”
“Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?”

Mugwump as a name has been around for yonks Sarah. When I was an undergrad in Durham there was a shop called Mugwump. I have a feeling it's still there. And that was in nineteen-hundred-and-frozen-to-death!

__________________
If a man is in the garden and speaks, and there is no woman to hear him, is he still wrong?

www.vegheaven.blogspot.com

Updated January 3rd - Birdwatching.

Welcome Mugwump

What a great plot size! I wish you a bountiful first year. Can you send a pic?

Kind regards
Tracey

Quick Google;
World Wide Words: Mugwump
But doesn't surprise me JK Rowling likes words, and a lot of them mean something relevant - in HP Dumbledore is the Supreme Mugwump of the Wizengamot

__________________
Sarah

http://www.hypermobility.org


“Tell me one last thing,” said Harry. “Is this real? Or has this been happening inside my head?”
“Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?”

100m by 30m that is one big veg plot! By my reconing thats equivalent to at least 12 regular large allotments (50m x5m) which is way way more than anyone on here who grows non commercially. Even the keenest have 3 plots max maybe?

If you're growing for just yourself I'd doubt you need anything like that space, even if you plan on giving it away?! First thing I'd do is try to understand how much you want to get out of the land. Maybe go have a look at your local allotments and see what people get out of theirs.

Then I'd choose the bit of land that works best for you. Maybe thats the best soil structure, aspect, shielding from the elements, closeness to water/shed/house/path or how it visually fits with the rest of your acreage!!

From then on its easy. Grow what you like, try as much as you like and fun trying. Don't worry about previous rotations and start your own. I'd also leave fertiliser and see what the land produces. Use this year for trial and error and learning what you need don't need. Good luck and enjoy yourself. Oh and can I say I'm extremely jealous

__________________
http://plot62.blogspot.com/

blimey, 100 x 30m - isn't that a field ?

blimey that is a huuuuuuge plot. I have no advice as i am a newbie myself but wanted to say welcome. Without exception the folks here have been fantastic in helping with our new plot of land, i am sure that there will be lots of advice coming your way.

Hi Mugwump,
I'm drooling at the thought of all that planting room - you can grow anything you want and still have space for some chickens!

Have you thought about creating a mini orchard? Now is a great time to buy bare-rooted trees and you could have mulberries and medlars and quinces and apricots and all sorts of glorious things you can't buy fresh in the shops.

I'd love to see a blog of your progress - but i wonder if you'll have time!!!

As you've got loads of space, what about planting lots of perennial veg like rhubarb and asparagus? And Marshalls are doing 10 artichoke slips for about £5 - they grow into big plants but they are worth the space and need hardly any maintenance - which is always a bonus. And they are great for wildlife.

I've just worked it out - 30 x 100 meters is 3/4 of an acre!

I think an orchard is a great idea (though I'm not sure it needs to be a mini one!). Maybe run a fence around it and keep free range chooks under the trees? Invest in a ride-on mower and you should be able to keep it under control!

What a wonderful opportunity.

__________________
Resistance is fertile

Thank you for your replies. I am moving in next month and have started planning my plot. I revisited the place last week and still find the prospect rather daunting although exciting. I have since found out that the previous owner was an old man who dealt with the garden on his own, and even though it hasn't been looked after since September, it still looks great. I must admit that I googled polytunnel the other day, and may put one on my birthday list!

I always thought a Mugwump was an extinct Geordie bird! I'm sure there used to be a fossil of a Mugwump in the Hancock Museum (could have been around April 1st methinks!) along with that other Geordie bird the Waarkwint (You daren't leave nowt lying around here or else someone will waarkwint!)

__________________
My Majesty made for him a garden anew in order
to present to him vegetables and all beautiful flowers.- Offerings of Thutmose III to Amon-Ra (1500 BCE)

I got the name Mugwump from a biograpy of The Mamas and the Papas- 2 of the members used to be in a group called The Mugwumps. I just liked the name!
The dictionary meaning is a person who acts independently or remains neutral, especially in politics, one who sits on the fence.
Nice to know it's been a good talking point!

Hannah