YOUR GARDEN THIS MONTH :
JANUARY
JANUARY MIGHT BE THE MIDDLE OF WINTER BUT AS THE DAYS LENGTHEN THE GARDEN STARTS TO GROW . NOW IS A GREAT TIME TO PLAN FOR THE COMING GARDENING YEAR ; TO ORDER SEEDS AND PLANTS , AND TO PLAN YOUR CROP ROTATION . IF YOU WERE INSPIRED BY LOCKDOWN ’ S ‘ GROW YOUR OWN ’ MOVEMENT , BE PROPERLY PREPARED THIS YEAR .
Crop rotation
The principle of crop rotation is to grow specific groups of vegetables on a different part of the vegetable plot each year . This helps to reduce a build-up of crop-specific pest and disease problems and it organises groups of crops according to their cultivation needs .
Suitable for ...
Crop rotation is used in allotment plots and kitchen gardens for most annual vegetable crops . Perennial vegetables ( such as rhubarb and asparagus ) do not fit into the rotation . Certain annual crops such as cucurbits ( courgettes , pumpkins , squashes , marrows and cucumbers ), French and runner beans , salads ( endive , lettuce and chicory ) and sweetcorn can be grown wherever convenient , merely avoiding growing them too often in the same place .
Plan your crop rotation before the growing season starts , and mark out the plots on the ground so you know where to plant each crop .
Benefits of crop rotation
Soil fertility : Different crops have different nutrient requirements . Changing crops annually reduces the chance of particular soil deficiencies developing as the balance of nutrients removed from the soil tends to even out over time .
Weed control : Some crops , like potatoes and squashes , with dense foliage or large leaves , suppress weeds , thus reducing maintenance and weed problems in following crops .
Pest and disease control : Soil pests and diseases tend to attack specific plant families over and over again . By rotating crops between sites the pests tend to decline in the period when their host plants are absent which helps reduce build-up of damaging populations of spores , eggs and pests . Common diseases that can be helped avoided by rotation include clubroot in brassicas and onion white rot .
How to do crop rotation
Divide your vegetable garden or allotment into sections of equal size ( depending on how much of each crop you want to grow ), plus an extra section for perennial crops , such as rhubarb and asparagus . Group your crops as below :
Brassicas : Brussels sprouts , cabbage , cauliflower , kale , kohl-rabi , oriental greens , radish , swede , and turnips .
Legumes : Peas , broad beans ( French and runner beans suffer from fewer soil problems and can be grown wherever convenient ).
Onions : Onion , garlic , shallot , and leek .
Potato family : Potato , tomato , ( pepper and aubergine suffer from fewer problems and can be grown anywhere in the rotation ).
Roots : Beetroot , carrot , celeriac , celery , Florence fennel , parsley , parsnip , and all other root crops , except swedes and turnips , which are brassicas .
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