GARDENING

A crop rotation plan

It is not practical to divide your allotment into three equal parts and rotate the vegetables in a 3 year plan. The area occupied by potatoes is much larger than for other crops and this makes crop rotation a problem. In addition, some vegetables such as runner beans cast a considerable shadow so moving their position each year might well cause other vegetables a problem.

By rotating crops round your allotment, the build up of pests and disease in the soil will be significantly reduced. The brassica family of vegetables (cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli etc) will particularly benefit from rotation.

Try to grow your brassica family of vegetables in different plots each year, as if you do get club root disease it can affect the soil for anything up to 8 years.

Other vegetables are not so prone to the build up of disease. Peas, French Beans and Runner Beans can be grown in the same plot for several years without problem.

If you do not have space to grow vegetables in an allotment, many can be grown in pots.

This year I have grown potatoes, peas, beans and carrots in containers, I found this to be easier to maintain and the end result very tasty indeed.

Remember, home grown vegetables may not look good, but by golly they taste good!