Crop Rotation

Whether you are planting your vegetables directly in the ground or in raised beds, crop rotation is extremely important and something that you should start doing, if you are not already doing so.  Not only does it help to lessen crop-specific pest and diseases in plants, but it also promotes healthy soil.

If you are doing vegetable gardening in containers and tend to reuse the potting soil in a container to plant another crop, then making use of rotation, can also be very beneficial and you will find that your crops will be much healthier and will grow very well. You will actually see a visible difference in your plants.

Whilst crop rotation is often done on a 2 yearly, 3 yearly or longer rotation basis, I personally prefer doing crop rotation every year for my raised beds and when it comes to my container garden, I practice crop rotation each time I plant something new in a container. It has made a huge difference in the health of my crops as well as in my harvest success.

I follow the following crop rotation schedule and highly recommend that you give it a try:

After harvesting the Tomato and Root Crops, plant Legumes and Pod Crops in the same bed or container:

• Okra
• Peas
• Bush
• Beans
• Broad Beans
• Runner Beans

After harvesting the Legumes and Pod Crops, plant Allium Crops in the same bed or container:

• Leeks
• Garlic
• Onions
• Shallots
• Scallions
• Bunching Onions

After harvesting the Allium Crops, plant Brassica Crops in the same bed or container:

• Kale
• Turnips
• Cabbage
• Radishes
• Broccoli
• Kholabri
• Rutabagas
• Cauliflower
• Mizuna Greens
• Mustard Greens
• Brussel Sprouts
• Chinese Cabbages
• Bok Choi and Oriental Mustards

After harvesting the Brassica Crops, plant Tomato and Root Crops in the same bed or container:

• Taro
• Beets
• Celery
• Salsify
• Carrots
• Tomatoes
• Potatoes
• Parsnips
• Egg Plants
• Sweet Peppers
• Sweet Potatoes
• Annual Berries
• Spinach and Lettuce