Nick Hamilton outlines his four year crop rotation plan
'The root crops in the final plot, such as carrots, parsnips, Hamburg parsley, salsify and beetroot, are happiest on a less-than-fertile soil, where they will grow long and straight with no forked roots.'
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Well-rotted organic matter retains moisture in the soil
and has excellent nutritional values
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It has now got to that time of year on the productive areas when we all have to think about crop rotation. As far as the four-year-crop-rotation plan at Barnsdale is concerned, cultivation of each of the four plots is quite simple, as the grouping of the plants dictates what they need. I group our plants together as follows:
Plot One contains all the brassicas.
Plot Two the peas and beans, as well as lettuce, sweetcorn and chard.
Plot Three has potatoes, tomatoes, marrows, courgettes and onions.
Plot Four has all the root crops.
Double digging plot one
Our cultivation involves double digging the first plot before we start to plant any brassicas, so that they have the maximum organic matter, as they are the heaviest feeders of all our groups. I tend to use well-rotted farmyard manure to incorporate into the soil while digging, as it has excellent nutrient values and is also fantastic at retaining moisture for the crop to follow. On our heavy clay it is much easier to dig the first trench with a spade and then dig the manure into the bottom of the trench with a fork.
Single dig two and three
On plots two and three I single dig, again incorporating farmyard manure, as the crops grown in both these plots will require nutrients, but not in such large quantities as the brassicas.
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| You can lightly cultivate with a rotavator
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Rotavation on plot four
The root crops in the final plot, such as carrots, parsnips, Hamburg parsley, salsify and beetroot, are happiest on a less-than-fertile soil, where they will grow long and straight with no forked roots. No organic matter is added and the plot is just lightly cultivated to produce an excellent tilth. Often this operation can be carried out with a rotavator or mechanical cultivator. On our heavy clay soil, however, this method of cultivation is not carried out on the same plot often, for fear of creating a pan, where the rotating blades smear the soil. This will make it almost impenetrable to water, creating a real drainage problem for crops that follow, although this is not a problem on light sandy soils.
No-dig method
I have also tried the no-dig method of growing vegetables, which I found easier when used in conjunction with the 1.20m (4ft) bed system of growing crops, although even here we have gone back to the old-fashioned soil cultivation techniques, as I felt that they produced a better harvest, on our soil.
Look further
Nick and Sue Hamilton run
Barnsdale Gardens in Rutland, Leicestershire, formerly owned by the late Geoff Hamilton.
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