vegetable rotation

[Robin_Bee]

Hi all. I am new to this site, and also new to the idea of no dig allotment gardening.
I was wondering if the rule of rotating veg to different beds annually still applies using this method.
I have two raised beds ready for my first year of this very convincing method of growing, and I would like to make more. The size of beds I make will be dependent on what the answer is.

Robin.

[charles]

 Hello Robin, welcome to the forum, yes rotation is still a sound principle but a four year plan is, in my opinion, less important than often suggested. For one thing it depends what you wish to grow and a one year gap can be enough of a break for many vegetables.

Good luck with no dig.

[Robin_Bee]

Thanks Charles. It does make sense to rotate crops. I couldn’t imagine that the no dig method would make life any easier than it already does. The thought of never having to dig my 100 foot plot again is making me giddy, so I thought I’d ask.

I suppose the only thing my common sense tells me to do is to make my raised beds of a uniform size so as to be able to access the growing area all round without having to stand on it.

Most of my allotment has been dug this winter, so its just a case of constructing the outer frames of the beds and filling with compost, and well rotted manure. What a lovely thought. I wished I’d found you sooner.

[Stringfellow]

In addition to cutting down on digging hours, beds without sides might be worth considering. £, time and labour saving unless you have a particular reason for fashioning them; bad back, aesthetics etc.

Thought it might be of help Robin. All the best whatever you go with.

[Robin_Bee]

A good point Stringfellow. Aesthetics are I have to admit my reason. Point being that I have already made two beds from 5″X 1″ pressure treated carcassing wood. I’m fortunate in as much as I can buy it delivered at cost. My 100 foot allotment is already clean so it’s not really the depth I need to hold an initial depth of compost, and rotted manure etc.

I was originally introduced to this way of growing veg by watching several video’s on Youtube. The chap that caught my interest had made these raised beds with allocated walkways in between for barrowing materials to the plots, and also to discourage anyone from walking on the growing area. I can see now of course that it isn’t a requirement and it’s not exactly cheap even at cost.

Thanks for your welcome.

Robin.

[PeterW]

Robin, another option is to use pallet timber for the edges of the raised beds. A scrounge around the local industrial estate or building sites, or a few phone calls, can be very productive, particulary if you explain that it’s for growing veg. Some businesses return their pallets, but many don’t and are happy for you to take them off their hands. They come apart on-site to slide into a car plank by plank if you don’t have access to a van or trailer. One of my local businesses had some pallets 2.5m long, with planks about 2cm x 10cm. It took a couple of hours to de-nail them and make a 4m x 1.35m bed. I used two rows of planks to give an edge about 20cm deep. The wood is a bit thin, but of course I won’t be digging the soil (!) so I hope they won’t crack too soon. I’ve got my eye on some pallets with heavy stringers about 5cm x 8cm which will be stronger, to make more beds (another 7 to go!) To make them last even longer you can paint them with the Osmo that Charles mentions.

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