Forum home Fruit & veg
This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.

Raised beds in a new(ish) garden

Steve 309Steve 309 Posts: 2,753

I've become responsible (ha!) for a biggish urban garden (behind a pair of big semis used as a sort of hostel).  My brief is partly to grow fruit and veg for the residents and to get them involved (ha!).

There are some raised beds and we're building more and there'll be a total of about a dozen, mostly about 5 sq m.  Some have rhubarb and strawberries in them, about 8 or 9 will be available for rotational veg.  I have a 6-course rotation in mind: spuds - legumes - brassicas - squashes/toms - onions - roots (not that I'll be there for 6 years!).

Q: How can I fit a 6-course rotation into 8 or 9 beds?

Posts

  • iGrowiGrow Posts: 183
    Why make it so complicated? Go for a three year rotation if 9 beds (or four years using two beds for spuds) & a four year rotation if 8 beds.
  • ClaringtonClarington Posts: 4,949

    I agree with iGrow - if it is possible go for three year and keep it simple!

  • Steve 309Steve 309 Posts: 2,753

    Hmmm...yes - makes sense.  And I am prone to making things overcomplicated.

    But I've never seen the sense in including spuds with roots, for example.  (a) they're not roots (not that it matters much) and (b) they need lots of muck, which the roots don't.  So that's four groups....and I might do the Central American thing of squashes with sweetcorn, on flat ground.

    Anyway, I was asked today if some of the residents can use some of the garden themselves (rather than coming in with the grand plan) which, of course, they can!  So that moves the goalposts. Again.

  • Agree with iGRow, Anything that makes your life simplier is best

  • Steve 309Steve 309 Posts: 2,753

    True 'nuff

  • ClaringtonClarington Posts: 4,949

    Good luck!

  • Steve 309Steve 309 Posts: 2,753

    Ta.  I might need it. Just had a conversation in which I agreed that the residents could use one bed to start with...but they want to use the greenhouse too, which means keys....supervision....NOT what I wanted to do when I started this job!

  • ClaringtonClarington Posts: 4,949

    Could you set up some cold frames for them to use within the raised beds so that they can use those instead of the greenhouse? They do near enough the same thing (in my uneducationed opinion) and would save the having to organise keys and supervision (which sounds terribly involved).

    Be sure you put your wellington down when you feel you're being taken advantage of. It's meant to be enjoyable!
    Its in their best interests (aka they try more out of you than you wanted) to see how much they can "push" you into agreeing to things especially while you're new and fresh and keen but some organisations do take the Michele to their volunteers. If you're not comfortable with it make sure they know!

Sign In or Register to comment.