Allotment - the Where, When, Why and How - crop rotation

Using a crop rotation system came naturally to our ancestors - they understood that the soil needed rest and replenishment before it could give of its best again, and they also knew that some crops love to follow in the footsteps of others and that pests and diseases build up in the soil if you grow the same things year after year. We've lost this instinctive knowledge but knowing how crop rotation works really helps us grow better vegetables and fruit, so dust off your intellect and take some notes!

First, all rotation means is that you grow each crop in a different plot each year. This means that for your allotment you may choose to set aside a perennial area for things like currants, rhubarb, globe artichokes and so on, that don't get moved annually.

Now divide the rest of your plot into rough thirds. The three rotations you will make are:

1. brassicas (swedes, turnips, kohlrabi, cabbage, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, broccoli)
2. root crops excluding brassicas
3. miscellaneous crops like beans, peas and salads and flowers, of course!

So in year one you'll grow brassicas in plot one - this means you manure the plot in the autumn, adding a little lime if needed, fertilize the soil before sowing and plant your brassicas. In plot two you'll grow root crops that aren't brassicas (potatoes, carrots, parsnips, beetroot etc) so you'll apply a general fertilizer before planting and in plot three you'll plant beans, peas, celeriac, celery, endive, leeks, onions, spinach and salad crops, so they need compost or manure before planting.

In year two, you grow your miscellaneous crops in the former brassica bed and your brassicas in plot two, moving your non-brassicas to plot three - easy, isn't it? This simple system means your plots get a constant input of nitrogen fixing from the peas, beans etc and pests don't build up in the soil

allotment rotation system photograph author's own