In 2008 my plot was a bit of a shambles. Half was potatoes (a lazy but productive way of keeping the weeds down), half was half weeds and half plants enjoined in natures battle against the law of entropy. I had half a dozen cabbages with a net draped over them in an attempt to renew my acquantance with that flatulant delight: the brassica! It was in a sorry state. So in the winter of 2008/9 I set about a bit of basic planning. As Dr Hessayan recomends, a three way division allows for basic crop rotation so that the needs of each family can be catered for while the pests that feed on them can be starved out for two years at a time. Here's the plan I came up with: (I also started my blog around this time).
Things went pretty well I thought. Parcelling up the tasks into smaller packages seemed to make them more manageable and more varied. I also made more time to carry out my plans. The results were a significant improvement on the dismal showing of the previous few years. Thus emboldened, that winter I expanded my scheme next winter to a five way rotation.
Guess what I had more fun and more produce than ever. So now I've added soft fruit at both ends, and a bit of colour to my plan to cheer up the winter blues. I'm rarin to get out there and put my plan into action.
And just for any skeptic out there, aside from the broad brushtroke plans I also keep a more detailed record of what went where on those rainy days or dark evenings when the conditions are not fit for man nor beast. Here's last years detail.
It seems that planning produces results - but it's also quite fun when you can't actually do anything!
