Vegetables
It would be true to say you can grow almost anything at longbarrow allotments. It is a matter of preparing your soil, offering up any protection that your plants might require and then tending the plants through the growing season, feeding as necessary.
Firstly when setting out your plot consider the principle of crop rotation. The chart breaks down into five areas, which can be achieved on the larger plots.
| Family | Examples | Soil requirements | Soil benefits |
| Brassicas | Cabbage, Cauliflower, Radish, Swede | Nitrogen-rich soil; may need liming. Check ph of soil | |
| Legumes | Pea, Bean (Broad, French and Runner) | Well-drained but moisture-retentive; not nitrogen-rich | Fixes atmospheric nitrogen in roots for future crops |
| Onions | Onion, Garlic, Shallot, Leek | High organic matter; may need liming check ph | |
| Potato family | Potato, Tomato | High organic matter and nitrogen (potato); no lime | Suppress weeds, break up soil structure |
| Umbellifers | Carrot, Parsnip, Parsley, Celery, Florence Fennel | Root crops need stone-free soil; not freshly manured; fine tilth | Root crops break up soil structure |
On smaller plots consider a three group crop rotation, such as
| Bed One | Bed Two | Bed Three | |
| Year one | Brassicas | Legumes etc | Root Vegetables |
| Year two | Root Vegetables | Brassicas | Legumes |
| Year Three | Legumes etc | Root Vegetables | Brassicas |
Salad crops such as Radish, Lettuce and Mixed Leaves can be incorporated in the cycle as room becomes available. Courgettes, Marrows, Pumpkins, Squashes could be incorporated into a compost heap as they do take up a lot of space.
Runner beans tend to be grown in the same spot with little trouble, they like plenty of organic matter. Dig a deep trench and incorporate organic matter from late autumn onwards. This helps to retain moisture in the soil as well as feeding the plants.
Sweet Corn which is another favourite, needs a sunny spot with some shelter from the wind. They require fertile soil which has good water retention, dig in plenty of old compost. This also goes for other groups not listed such as Aubergines, Chicory, Cucumbers, Fennel, French Beans and Peppers wherever space allows, but remember to consider the requirement of the plant.
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