The winter months are the best time to plan your next growing season and by doing this I have always found that things work out that much better. Crop rotation is a vital part of the program I set myself as I know by doing this I will prevent diseases and pests from taking hold in my soil.

Making sure the soil is well prepared with compost added and weeds removed means that my crops will be that much better. I also make notes of which crops were bumper ones and was this because they loved the conditions and places I had planted them in. I also note which ones just did not do that well and then check the reasons why.

It might seem a tedious part of the schedule to organize, but if like me you enjoy seeing your vegetables doing well and growing nicely, then it has to be done and it needs to be done seriously.

When I first started growing my own vegetables and fruit I didn't take this part of the work that seriously, and although I did always get pretty good harvests from my labours I noticed these could be improved if I thought it through just that little bit more carefully.

My mother used to grow most of her vegetables in her borders mixed up with all her plants which was delightful, but her yields were never on a par with an aunts who religiously kept her vegetable plot going by rotating which vegetables she grew in it. I still have a few herbs growing in my borders especially outside the kitchen door because they are handy to retrieve when I need them. But my vegetable plot is the main concern and I spend a lot of time planning it out before I start to sow my seeds or plant out my vegetables for the season.

So if you are at a loss as to what to do then I strongly advocate sitting down and planning how you are going to go about setting out your vegetable plot this year. Make a plan of where you'll plant your brassicas, then your legumes and root veggies. This will mean you can then sit back, relax and watch all of your vegetables as they grow knowing you'll have a great harvest in the months to come.