Clearing away. Resting the land.

[Shadylane]

You do whatever makes you happy with your plot Shadylane. After all, veg gardening is about enjoyment. Very few peeps are solely reliant on there veg crops to keep them fed during the winter months. What makes me happy is not worrying that I can only plant brassicas after peas,only liming the brassica plot, only manuring the tattie area and all the other miriad of do's and dont's that our farming ancestors had to worry about.
True crop rotation was devised by and for farmers so that monoculture could be practiced on large fields.
Work with nature, use common sense about which crop you follow with which (but don't get anal about it and worry about breaking the rules) life's too short!
Feed the land and it will feed you!

Well, that's it innit, doing what works for you, thing is I haven't quite figured that out yet. I'm not strict or anal about it but part of me wants to throw caution to the wind and bung everything in wherever I have space. Of course the other part says ...ah but what about this and that and the other...

I know as far as maximising food production I could do more even with working around a loose rotation system. I suppose I'm still trying to get to grips with successional sowing and getting stuff organised for winter. I was quite proud of myself this year as I actually sowed the spring cabbage early enough but then went and let the caterpillars eat it while it was still in pots at home. Maybe next year it will actually make it into the ground.

[taff]

Well, I messed up the rotatrion plan good and proper this year, I planted potatoes where the tomatoes were last year, and the tomatoes in the same place twice, nothing got blight or died untowardly...mind you, i was probably lucky

[Snadger]

Snadger, what do you do then? You pocket plant randomly dont you? How does your rotation fit in with that.. I've not really heard about what you do before

I just blag it Chris! As has been mentioned earlier, I try not to follow like with like.As one crop comes out,muck the soil and plant another. The plants appear to do well (smashing crops this year) and I'm happy. Looks natural, feels natural now that I've got rid of my 'straight line' mentality. Very few straight lines in nature.

I'm not advocating my way.........all I'm saying is it works for me and I'm happy with it.

Suppose my way could be likened to a cottage garden with veg AND flowers.

[chris]

Ahh right, I thought it was more of a set rules method!

[Snadger]

ahh right, i thought it was more of a set rules method!

SET RULES!?????: You know me better than that!

[Shadylane]

Whenever I used to try and plant in straight lines they always veered off to one side, so now I don't bother, unless it's actually easier to do that eg. if I have a lot of lettuce seedlings it's easier to scrape out a drill than dig random little holes all over. I do prefer random. I had very few probs with cabbge white this year despite not using any netting. I like to think it's because they were mixed in with herbs and flowers and not in nice easy to spot rows. However my neighbours who are very much into straight rows didn't seem to have problems either and they only use big holed netting for the pigeons so maybe it had nowt to do with that at all.

[Snadger]

Straight lines and spacing I CAN do well! I use trigonometry,geometry and mensuration in my daily work

Thats probably why I rebel so much against it at the allotment....................I mean...........who wants a continuation of there daily work in their 'me' time?

[mothhawk]

...I have a woodburning stove in my greenhouse and on a cold Jan/Feb day it is a pleasure to be in it, pottering about...

It wouldn't have occured to me to put a woodburner in a greenhouse, but I think it's the most brilliant idea I've ever picked up from a forum! Good on yer, Snadge!

[Pies]

i find i have to leave quite a bit un planted overwinter i always cover with a good mulch of something,I think alot of the problem is the size of plot my plot is only 5 rods which means that i dont have the room. ive tried and will keep trying but i dont think its dooable espescially as im not a lover of cabbage

[Two_Sheds]

It wouldn't have occured to me to put a woodburner in a greenhouse

I've got a hammock in mine; I might now move the chiminea in too

i find i have to leave quite a bit un planted overwinter ,,, im not a lover of cabbage

Leeks? onions? broad beans? winter lettuce, kale?

[Pies]

Got leeks growing but most have bolted. Two types of kale growing well. Broad beans and winter onions planted yesterday. Also got some purple sprouting and brussels doing well. Not forgeting i have garlic and elephant garlic already sown and parsnips lookung good, but there will still be over 50% unplanted.

[Bren In Pots]

I've got leeks, parsnips, perpetual spinach, chard, winter lettuce/spring onions, Kale then some cabbage thats just gone in, the rest of the winter lettuce will be planted in the greenhouse once the toms have finished.
Looking at the garden the only bare patch will be were I've got the courgettes growing now I'd thought about putting broad beans there.

[taff]

I use trigonometry,geometry and mensuration in my daily work

I had to read the last one twice, because i thought, I can't understand why that one's in there.....

[Snadger]

I had to read the last one twice, because i thought, I can't understand why that one's in there.....

Google it and all will be revealed................luckily I haven't had to worry about what you were thinking of!

[shona_b]

I'm trying but failed to plant enough to cover all the beds I'll be stripping this weekend. I'm removing the last of the cabbagges (except red ones which are still looking OK), corn, spinach that has bolted, borlottis and frenchies plus the squash runners that are dying back. All I have planted are garlic, onions and some peas mainly for pea shoots. That's about one bed out of the rest of the plot Another has PSB which will be there until next spring, So I guess a full load of manure this year instead of half to spread over the remainder. I do have some tiny kale plants to put in and have ordered some extras but basically I've run out of time