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My plot is divided into 4 "zones" for crop rotation. It has raised beds which run North-South.
There is a hedge a bit to the South of the plot, which casts a shadow over the plot, but only in Winter time.
I have always planted my over-wintering veg at the North end of the beds, thinking that they get a bit more Winter sun.
I've always fudged the issue with crops like Garlic, planted in the Autumn, which follows the Roots - planting the Garlic at which ever end of the Roots bed the Summer Carrots were - as the other end still has the Parsnips.
But I though this year I would ask if anyone has suggestions for which crop would better benefit from being in the Winter sun.
Year 1 Sprouts / Spouting Broccoli / Winter Cabbage. Of these the Sprouting Broccoli is the last to finish harvest.
Year 2 Parsnips. I figure that this needs very little sun during Winter, so I am inclined to put it at the shady-end. I grow my Parsnips in newspaper tubes (very heavy soil here, cannot get on it until well into March) so they don't get planted out until around mid April, which should give me time to clear any Winter Brassica crop from the previous year.
Year 3 Garlic / Leeks. The Garlic needs to be planted in the Autumn, so cannot be the same end as the Parsnips. I figure, of the two, the Garlic needs more winter light as it is making growth, whereas the Leeks are hopefully fat enough by the time Winter arrives. Leeks harvest finishes around the end of March (i.e. the ground can be in use until then)
Year 4 Peas and Beans. Broad Beans is the only issue, as they want to be planted fairly early - they haven't gone out yet, this year (growing in pots) so I would say that normally they go out end of March. The Leeks bed is unlikely to be cleared by then so the Broad Beans need to go where the Onions / Garlic was harvested the previous summer. I suspect that there is no / little shadow cast by the hedge once we get to end of March, so that's probably not a problem.
So my conclusion is that:
Garlic - North end for maximum winter sun
Parsnips - South end so as not to be in the way of Autumn Planting of Garlic
Sprouting Broccoli at the most Northerly end, so as not to be in the way of planting Parsnips. Brussels next, followed by Winter Cabbage towards the South end as they will be out of the way by the time that Parsnips need planting.
My Spuds and other "summer crops" are in separate zones, sharing their rotation with some cut flowers, and slower-rotating Strawberries, so not part of my main vegetable rotation.
There is a hedge a bit to the South of the plot, which casts a shadow over the plot, but only in Winter time.
I have always planted my over-wintering veg at the North end of the beds, thinking that they get a bit more Winter sun.
I've always fudged the issue with crops like Garlic, planted in the Autumn, which follows the Roots - planting the Garlic at which ever end of the Roots bed the Summer Carrots were - as the other end still has the Parsnips.
But I though this year I would ask if anyone has suggestions for which crop would better benefit from being in the Winter sun.
Year 1 Sprouts / Spouting Broccoli / Winter Cabbage. Of these the Sprouting Broccoli is the last to finish harvest.
Year 2 Parsnips. I figure that this needs very little sun during Winter, so I am inclined to put it at the shady-end. I grow my Parsnips in newspaper tubes (very heavy soil here, cannot get on it until well into March) so they don't get planted out until around mid April, which should give me time to clear any Winter Brassica crop from the previous year.
Year 3 Garlic / Leeks. The Garlic needs to be planted in the Autumn, so cannot be the same end as the Parsnips. I figure, of the two, the Garlic needs more winter light as it is making growth, whereas the Leeks are hopefully fat enough by the time Winter arrives. Leeks harvest finishes around the end of March (i.e. the ground can be in use until then)
Year 4 Peas and Beans. Broad Beans is the only issue, as they want to be planted fairly early - they haven't gone out yet, this year (growing in pots) so I would say that normally they go out end of March. The Leeks bed is unlikely to be cleared by then so the Broad Beans need to go where the Onions / Garlic was harvested the previous summer. I suspect that there is no / little shadow cast by the hedge once we get to end of March, so that's probably not a problem.
So my conclusion is that:
Garlic - North end for maximum winter sun
Parsnips - South end so as not to be in the way of Autumn Planting of Garlic
Sprouting Broccoli at the most Northerly end, so as not to be in the way of planting Parsnips. Brussels next, followed by Winter Cabbage towards the South end as they will be out of the way by the time that Parsnips need planting.
My Spuds and other "summer crops" are in separate zones, sharing their rotation with some cut flowers, and slower-rotating Strawberries, so not part of my main vegetable rotation.
