succession planting + asparagus

[antonia macaroMember]

Hello, I’m interested in doing more successional growing and just wanted to ask, is it ok to follow a crop with another of the same family? E.g. planting leeks after garlic and shallots, or french beans after broad beans and peas? I was planning to do that so I could try and keep to some kind of annual rotation (I only have four beds), otherwise it seems to get quite complicated if I have two families per year. Any advice?

The other thing is that I noticed in your photos that you’ve planted asparagus through cardboard. I have an asparagus bed (and a raspberry bed) that were covered for a while before I planted but that didn’t quite get rid of the bindweed so I’m pulling out any shoots as soon as they come up. Could I still cover the bed with cardboard?

Thanks a lot!

[charlesModerator]

 Hello Antonia, yes you can folllow legumes with legumes or lettuce with lettuce. Or you can do a two year rotation such as early broad beans, beetroot, early cabbage, leeks. Or you can grow without rotating, or rotate just a little…!

My asparagus has grown badly, I was too optimistic planting crowns on grass, should have folowed my own advice, also I have noticed slug damage to the few spears emerging, and they are hiding under cardboard! But if your soil is dry and the asparagus is established, you could use cardboard against the bindweed, although it will still creep out along the edges as quite a bit of light gets in that way.

[antonia macaroMember]

Thank you so much Charles, I’m looking forward to seeing your new garden, you seem to have done wonders, shame about the asparagus!

Just one follow up question: can the cardboard be left on the asparagus/raspberry beds or does it need to be removed at some point to allow the asparagus/raspberry to spread?

[Author]

Posts