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Old 09-05-2008, 11:18 AM posted to aus.gardens
George.com George.com is offline
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First recorded activity by GardenBanter: Jul 2006
Posts: 805
Default rotation in the garden


"0tterbot" wrote in message
...
"Bill" wrote in message
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Rotation does not have to be circular though the word suggest it.
Back and forth may give similar desired effects. In some ways I'd
suggest the word rest or Fallow may be useful. I'd recommend green
manure if you can add to your tilth.


back & forth is fine by me! it's what i've been trying to do.

genuine rotation with x always following y following z is good for plant
nutrition preferences, as i understand it. however, i'm really not trying
to do that (yet?); just not organised enough, & it hasn't started out that
way therefore harder to introduce now. maybe one day :-)


Here is the real nub of rotation with green manures that i can fathom. There
is the disease aspect but there is also the plant nutrition aspect. If for
some reason we can't get hold of fertilisers (synthetic, or poop or compost)
a proper rotation with green manures 'should' be able to keep our gardens
fertile. A nitrogen fixer can be grown and then killed off and tilled into
the garden or left as a mulch. A series of leaf, fruit & root vegetables
follow to use the nutrients before another green manure is put down. The
green manure will also add humus to the soil as it decays. For other
nutrients foraging plant can be used which have deep roots & are coppiced
but left to grow. The mate of mine suggests the likes of comfrey and
dandelion. The roots can be left to go deep whilst the top part is used as a
mulch on gardens. These are left as a permanent crop. I can get horse poop
in abundance but can see the value in such a system where nutrients are not
readily available.

rob