Crop Rotation and onions, leeks, and runner beans

I've read, on the internet, and spoken to a few people who agreed, that is okay to leave onions, leeks, and runner beans in the same spot each year, never rotating them.

Others say how this is a very dangeroius thing to do - because of serious pests.

I kept my onions in the same area for three years because I'd read that the soil, for the onions, actually improves. Then I got rust and decided to move them this year.

What is the experience of others? It would certainly make life easier if the number of crops that needed to be rotated each could be reduced!

I've grown sweetcorn in the same spot for several years without any problems - so far!

I'd love to know what other people feel, and know, on the subject.

 

Years ago, when we used to always have winters like the one we`ve just suffered. It would be fine to use the same beds year after year, because they would be " sterilised" by the winter weather. Now though, thanks to the mild winters and cleaner air, the ground doesn`t get this sterilisation and as a result we get a build up insect and disease pests. So it is now advisable to rotate all veg, to prevent this build up.

 

I think it's best to rotate veg if you can, especially those e.g. brassicas, which suffer from soil borne diseases. But of course, those of us with small gardens can only achieve a very limited change of position! Therefore air borne diseases and infections are still going to be a risk. Weather will certainly affect what happens each year.

 

I rotate my plot. Brassicas follow peas and beans in order to take advantage of the nitrogen that's been fixed by the crop. For many years I grew onions in the same bed year after year - it was great with lovely deep rich soil, but one year I was clobbered by white rot and now I can't grow decent onions anywhere in the garden.

 

I do try to rotate my veggy crops as much as possible, but it's not always easy in a small plot. They will just have to get on with it!

 

Thanks everyone! I've now worked put a reasonable rotation plan for my allotment that I can follow each year. It means that I don't have to worry each year about where to plant things - it's all planned for years to come. It, also, means that I can prepare the soil early, where I need to. I've also decided not to grow anything over winter in future (except for Broad Beans, Brussls Sprouts, and Broccoli) so as to be able to add manure or whatever I want to the soil and don't have to wait for one crop to finish so that I can use the ground for another one.

I don't intend to rotate my runner beans or the over-wintering Broad Beans, although I will move them every other year.

Strangely enough, I'm always told it's very important to rotate my brassicas but, this year, I will be sowing "Nine Star Perennial" broccoli, to over-winter, and the T&M packet says "Provided all of the variable sized creamy heads are cut each spring then you will enjoy this tasty crop for 2-3 years". So much for crop rotation!

John

 

Well done Quaedor for seeing the light because in all fairness if you didn't rotate your crop you would soon or later fall foul to one thing or another.

Here's a little bit of advice for you courgettes, cucumbers, french beans, marrows, lettuce, peppers, pumpkins (squashes) and sweet corn to name but a few can be grown in the same place year after year that's if you didn't know that already.

Also your Umbellifers (root veg) carrot, parsnip etc. can be grown among your onion bed.Hel.xxx.

 

Thanks Hel,

It was always a worry as to how I could rotate my crops because I tend to grow large quantities of these on my allotment. Unfortunately, my allotment, which I inherited, is mainly raised beds which have many advatanges but a big disadvatage in limiting the size of the areas available for planting crops - hence my concern about crop rotation.

But now, with my "cunning plan", I can rotate the brassicas, potaotoes and tomatoes, and the onions, etc., in the quantities I want, leaving space for all the other crops.

I didn't know for certain about courgettes, cucumbers, french beans, marrows, lettuce, peppers, pumpkins (squashes) and sweet corn but I had an idea that these wouldn't be a problem if grown in the same place year after year.

How do peas and carrots fit into this - can they be safely grown in the same area or do they need to be rotated? It doesn't really matter, from my point of view, because my "cunning plan" allows for these to be rotated anyway but it would be nice to know!

Thanks again.

John