I live in the equatorial region and I can plant all year round. This morning as I was harvesting some leafy greens for the day I wondered to myself how long should I wait before replanting … hmmm. This is what I normally do, first after all the veggies are harvested I'll leave it until I need it again which is normally about 3 weeks to a month or so. I will then prep the bed by digging a section at a time - 3 sections per bed for easy management of the process. The bed is about 3 feet by 8 feet. When I do the digging I'll will separate the earth in this manner, 3~4 inches of top soil, 3~4 inches of middle soil and 3~4 inches of bottom soil. The total depth dug out would be about 12 inches. Before filling up the hole about 2~3 inches of kitchen and garden waste is added in. The top soil is next followed by the bottom soil and finally the middle soil. The middle soil is mixed with compost in a ratio of about 1 compost is to 2 earth before it is added in as the final layer. When the whole bed is done the seedlings will be transplanted. I am just wandering whether I should let the bed rest or can I turn the earth immediately and replant after the harvest? If a rest is needed, then how long?
I think so as well, but I personally would amend the soil and wait a couple of weeks and let the strata begin to form.
I would fluff up that soil and be certain to rotate your crops. Plant leafy plants one time, plant root crop the next, Corn and climbing beans the next. and so forth. Be sure to fertilize sparingly, but do fertilize. But that is just what I do. Works for me.
Leafy greens do little to deplete the soil !! Your addition of compost should take care of that ! I grow in the same place year after year ! You can turn the plant under for green manure ! I leave mine till they begin to go to seed ! Depending on the variety of green you should get a long harvest ! Depending on heat and humidity of course ! You have enough space to start your second set of plants between the ones you are harvesting now ! Then as the second set grows you can remove the older plants ! By that time the new plants should almost be ready to harvest !
Thank you all for your response, now I am more comfortable with what I'm doing. I have 3 of these beds and usually I try not to plant the same thing in the same place. Normally I'll start with leafy, then climbers like cucumber or gourd or beans or anything else maybe tomato. I hardly plant roots because the seeds are hard to come by here. At the moment the only root plant I plant is beet root which is one of my favourite for salads I do not usually start immediately after I finish harvesting err … I'm not that hardworking Once again thank you all for your input, most appreciated.
