Planning the Allotment Plot Crop Rotation Plan – Previous Year

This article is part of a series to show some of the considerations and the process when developing your own crop rotation plan in the real world. Although over 10 years old, they remain valid today.

When you start planning your crop rotation, you could consider what you will actually be growing. The first rule is to only grow what you and the family will eat. There is no point in growing something no-one likes.

If that sounds obvious, I’ve come across plot holders growing crops they don’t actually like because they felt they had to, as if it was compulsory to grow celery or broad beans which they hated.

Once you’ve listed the crops you want to grow, then sort them out according to their family / rotation groups and then into time of sowing / planting. There’s a list of different vegetables on the grow your own vegetable page and on the allotment seed shop page.

You’ll find a list of the different crops and their classification here: Plant Families & Groups

Before planning this year I need to look at what has gone before and where I stand.

Allotment Plot 5 in Previous Year

The chippings have been renewed around the shed and the compost bin area. Beds 1 & 2 have been combined and the comfrey bed has been slightly reduced as the production is great and I don’t need quite as much as I first thought.

The potatoes will be going into plot 29 so the plan is to finish digging over Beds 3 to 7 (harvesting the parsnips and leeks first), lime fairly heavily and reconstruct paths as the plan below.

Beds 1 & 2 have had the leafmould to condition the soil and improve texture along with  some turkey manure to improver fertility spread on them. These will be rotavated in to the soil come the spring.

Practical Example Crop Rotation

Planning the Allotment Plot Crop Rotation Plan - New Plot

The big problem, that only became apparent shortly after I took the plot over , was the horsetail or marestail that infested the area in red on the plan above. Because of this, I only actually utilised Deep Bed 3 of the deep beds because I had already...

Planning the Allotment Plot Crop Rotation Plan - Previous Year

This article is part of a series to show some of the considerations and the process when developing your own crop rotation plan in the real world. Although over 10 years old, they remain valid today. When you start planning your crop rotation, you...

Planning the Allotment Crop Rotation Plan - What Potatoes to Grow

There are quite a few things to factor in on a crop rotation plan. For example, how much room will each crop need, how long it will be in the ground for etc. Potatoes are a major crop and working out their requirements is what this article explains. ...

Planning the Allotment Plot Crop Rotation Plan - Interim Legumes

By this stage of the crop rotation planning process, I've decided where the potatoes are going and now I'm working out where the legumes are going and how much room I'm going to need for them What to Grow? - Legumes Peas were one of the earliest...

Planning the Allotment Crop Rotation Plan - Finished!

Having decided what we're potatoes and beans we're growing, all that remains is to fit the rest of the crop families into the available space. What to Grow? Onions The onion family are the easiest to sort now. It's logical that they should...

Articles & Information on Crop Rotation

• Crop Rotation – History & Principles of Crop Rotation
• Crop Rotation – Plant Families or Groups for Crop Rotation
• Crop Rotation – The Three Year Crop Rotation Plan
• Crop Rotation – The Four Year Crop Rotation Plan
• Crop Rotation – The Five Year Crop Rotation Plan
• Practical Example Crop Rotation
  • Planning the Allotment Plot Crop Rotation Plan – New Plot
  • Planning the Allotment Plot Crop Rotation Plan – Previous Year
  • Planning the Allotment Crop Rotation Plan – What Potatoes to Grow
  • Planning the Allotment Plot Crop Rotation Plan – Interim Legumes
  • Planning the Allotment Crop Rotation Plan – Finished!