Seed Beds in a Rotation??? Thoughts Please.

My kitchen garden is finally coming together. Just building my 4 main raised beds (4x10ft). I shall stick to the common rotation of 1,Potatoes, then leaks. 2,Legumes 3,Brassicas 4,Roots.

I have enough room for permanent beds for soft friut, rhubard and asparagus.

I should, by my calculations have room for 3 or 4 small beds 3x5ftish. I was planning on using one as a seed bed, for leaks and brassicas and the others for growing Tomatoes (keeps them away from the spuds) Squash and perhaps sweetcorn. Do you think these would work in a rotation? Thoughts please.

P.S. hoping to start a thread with pictures on the "projects" section so you can monitor my failures:hehe:

Cheers.

 

Hello BigBaddad. It sounds to me as if it would work Ok.
In your first year it doesn't matter where you put anything.
Thereafter what matters is that you don't put the same thing in the same place.
There are ideal patterns for rotation and yours sounds fine.
Look forward to your pics.

 

yeah sounds good, I dont think you particularly need a rotation for seeds as seeds dont leech particular nutrients from the soil the way mature plants do...but if you split your seed bed you could create different conditions in compartments ie a sandy section for seeds wanting good drainage, a heavier soil for brassicas etc...just a thought

 

I was thinking, based on 3 beds. Year 1, manure and plant a couple of squashes with a few tomatoes at the back, year 2 sweelcorn, perhaps followed be late onions, year 3 seed bed followed by lettuce.

 

Don't forget that raised beds lose nutrients more than open soil. You will need to feed during the growing season and refresh the compost pretty much every year, especially if you are growing hungry plants like brassicas and tomatos.