This is subject to change!
The greenhouses are used for starting seeds and transplants earlier in the year then for tomatoes, chillies and cucumbers later in the year. The left hand side of the garden also has 30 something cordon apple trees as a fence between the garden and the field.
All beds are 10ft by 30" or 3m by 750mm
The way I'm setting out the "main garden" means that on many plots I'll be able to get two crops out of some beds. Things like squashes won't go in until late may/early June, so I might get some baby leaf salad in there first and then things like garlic that are harvested quite early will have a crop following them, like beetroot or carrots.
Having 32 beds and many plant families should make rotation easier in future, although some of the main crops you always want to grow more of. Having a few beds of annual herbs and lettuce in here should make rotation more flexible as well.
I will be growing some of these through plastic, the idea is to not leave the soil bare and try to make it manageable for one man with some small people helpers to keep on top of!
The second garden has it's beds laid out double, so each one is 20ft x 30" (6m x 750mm) and will contain crops that require less input from me. That means things that can be harvested in one go, like winter squash, quinoa for grain and winter brassicas that don't need much attention during the summer when I'm really busy, like purple sprouting, cabbages and sprouts, hopefully no watering will be needed up there either!
There are other areas that I will be planting up around the place. The area below my young fruit trees will end up with something in there (currently a small patch of Chinese artichokes that I forgot to harvest and try!) and I have some raised beds at the end of the main garden covered in weeds, so I might clear them out at some point to plant something. There is also two beds at the top, one is full of day lilies and the other is going to be planted with globe artichokes.
My key aims are to record what I do this year so I have a record of area planted and yield gained as well as the days it took from planting to harvest (days to maturity). But to eat as much as we want and to try and sell the surplus. I'm also making a real effort with seed saving as I have been given some seeds to try to preserve so areas or beds will be set aside for that later in the year.
I'm hoping a more systematic approach will bring food self sufficiency that little bit closer but I'm sure it will all go to pot in a few months and I'll have weeds round my eyeballs and a glut of things I can't preserve!
What do you think?
Do you like my veg plan or is it too formulaic for you?
Show me your planting plan!
Excellent job Kev. Very intimidating! I made a plan for mine months ago but gave already changed it up so nothing is final yet. When say sell the surplus are you thinking of selling at a market this year?
ReplyDeleteI've recently been doing mine, but it's a lot simpler. I have just 4 plots that will rotate with winter greens, summer essentials, squashes pumpkins etc, and onions and beans. Something like that!
ReplyDeleteGreat post and as long as it works for you, Kev. Love the "this is subject to change" comment. I have changed my plans about 6 times in the last couple of days, mainly because we have literally just created a new veg patch! I think I have it now but am so learning about when things harvest and how to use a space more than once where possible.
ReplyDeleteThere are a number of people on our allotments (although not me!) who record planting/harvesting times, varieties & yields. The only thing they all agree on is that every year is so very different - in terms of weather, availability of manure, cultivation times/methods, harvesting routines, & holiday interruptions - that few conclusions can be made. Agri-businesses on the other hand fine tune every detail of cultivation & adjust accordingly to every variable. The rest of us are just constantly surprised by what happens each year!!
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with you, that to get a continuous supply of food, it's important to rapidly replace a spent crop with new plantings. In a long growing year with a warm spring, summer & autumn it is easily possible to grow three different crops in succession in the same patch of ground, ending with an over-wintering crop that feeds you through to the next spring. My personal goal is always to have something to eat from the allotment most days through the entire year.
Too small here for planting too much, love your plans, hope you have a bed for cut flowers, they work out more expensive than veg when purchased from the shops.
ReplyDelete