That list is a bit odd...and would be hard to fulfill during certain seasons (#1 for hot periods of the year and #2 for colder periods of the year, specifically).

Plus, many fruiting vegetables consume quite a bit of N until they get to the point where they fruit...

I'd recommend growing what you want (when season appropriate) and amending when necessary, honestly.

P/K are easy to amend and most crops are tolerant to excessive amounts (to a point) which can carry over multiple seasons.

Given that particular setup, though, the corn would have to fit somewhere into season 1 because it's a very high N feeder and cropping a lot of leafy veggies would deplete a large amount of it by season 2...that said, depleting a lot of N in season 1 wouldn't make for a great season 2. *shrug*

This post was edited by nc-crn on Sun, Jun 2, 13 at 1:50

Yes, corn is fruiting and a super-heavy feeder.

IMO, if one is not rotating through fodder or green manure then it should be legumes every other or at least every third planting.

mckenziek - how large a gardening area do you have to work with? Many times garden size determines how and when you rotate if you do.

Dave

Thanks everyone for the replies.

Right now I only have 5 beds each 4x8 feet. But I have acres of room to expand. I could build 5 more every year for the next 3 years. I like to use gopher proof beds because I have so many gophers. So I could use my existing 5 beds

Rotating would be no trouble. I think adding nitrogen after the leafy vegetables would be easy. In fact, amending as needed would probably not be that much trouble. But the other alleged advantage is to avoid build up of disease causing pests.

I may try to plan it out and see if it works and makes good use of my seasons with what I want to grow.

Lots to think about. Thanks all!

--McKenzie

Several applications of compost, or fully composted wood chips, or leaves, will bring up the P and K to satisfactory levels for the long term. In most soils, most years, you have to add only N. In my soil, amended to the point that it is 21% OM, and above optimum for P, K, Ca and Mg, I only ever add urea. With some mulching in some of the beds every year, the P and K inflow is such that I will never apply compost again.

Most vegetables need N, every year, except (given good garden soil) carrots, parsnips, radish, turnip, and beans/peas. Collards and cabbage need it several times a year to crop well, and even tomatoes prefer two shots. I do occasionally not fertilize spring lettuce, but the follow crop gets fertilized. This is why that rotation will not normally work, unless you sit on extremely rich soil.

Thanks glib. Do you test your soil?

I have tested it once, but not at the beginning. Unless you have very sandy soil, a few applications of OM will give you good soil except for N.