Crop Rotation

Tabby_cat

Hello Folks, can you please help me with a question concerning crop rotation.
I have 2 raised beds in which to grow crops. In one I grow salad stuff (various lettuces, spring onions, radishes) and in the second I grow pea's, beans and garlic.
I have only had them for a couple of years but what I've been doing is swapping crops between the beds each year and also swapping ends each year. This does mean the middle sections tend to have the same crops in but on alternate years.
Do you think that's sufficient? From this list of crops is there anything I shouldn't be growing in the middle sections because they repeat too often? 
Thanks in advance.

twopenny

Sounds ok to me. The one puts nitrogen in the soil , the other takes little out.
I have a similar problem. I put compost on each spring but was thinking after 2yrs perhaps I should get some soil conditioner from the tip if they're still doing it.
Be interested to see what others say.

Tabby_cat

Thanks @Twopenny. I don't grow anything over winter in the beds but I do cover them with weed suppressant fabric until spring. In spring, I uncover and pull what weeds have got in, then dig in home made compost and fertilizer a couple of weeks before I want to sow.
You say that some of these crops add nitrogen and some take away. How would I know which was which? I'm quite a novice at this gardening fun and I'm interested how I could tell in the future if I grow something different. As ever, many thanks.

twopenny

Here's a bit about the nitrogen from some veg and how to relase it to the soil

https://gardening.which.co.uk/hc/en-gb/articles/360002513240-Nitrogen-fixing-veg

Salad crops use very little nutrient from the soil - Garlic needs some feed so growing it with the salad means it has all the goodness to itself. Good idea.

It's interesting what you can do with a bit of knowledge  - like companion planting, some plants help others and some don't go together.

https://www.premierpolytunnels.co.uk/blog/companion-planting-guide/#:~:text=Carrots are another popular option and can be,a chemical called solanine that repels carrot flies.

It's always worth reading more than one book/article on the subject you want to know more about because there's often an extra little useful tidbit comes up.

When I started and got to know what I would grow I wrote short easy tips in an exercise book so I could quickly look it up the next year when I'd forgotten what is what but that was mainly woody plants and herbs.

But it sounds as though you've got it really well sorted already. Enjoy!

Tabby_cat

Many Thanks for the links @Twopenny. I've bookmarked them and I'll have a read this evening.