Crop Rotation
Crop rotation is to grow specific groups of vegetable’s on a different part of your allotment garden each year. This helps to reduce a build up of pests & diseases & it organises groups of crops according to their cultivation needs.
Benefits of crop rotation
Soil fertility : different crops have different nutrient requirements. Changing crops annualy reduces the chance of a particular soil deficiencies developing as the balance of nutrients removed from the soil evens itself out over time. Weed control – Some crops like potatoes & squashes with dense foliage or large leaves, suppress weeds, thus reducing maintenance & weed problems in following crops. Pest & disease control : Soil pests & diseases will attack specific plant families over & over again. By rotating crops between sites the pests will decline in the period when their host plants are absent which helps reduce build of spores, eggs, & pests. Common diseases like club root in brassicas & onion white rot can be avoided.
To be continued – crop rotation part 2 to follow
Blog & research By Mark Burton ( Allotment Secretary)
