subject: Vegetable Rotation [print this page] Vegetable Rotation Vegetable Rotation
Vegetable rotation, like any crop rotation, is necessary for the health of your garden. If you do not rotate your vegetables the diseases and pests that attack specific crops will build up in the soil and become a problem.
Groups of vegetables
Vegetables are divided into four groups:
Legumes beans and peas
Brassicas -broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, cabbages, kale, rutabaga, and turnips
Root Vegetables potatoes, carrots, parsnips, plus tomatoes, eggplants, peppers, and celery
Onion family and squashes garlic, leeks, onioins, shallots, scallions, cucumbers, zucchini, summer squash, and winter squash
You may put other vegetables in with any of the groups where there is space. Very few things come out evenly at our house, so there is always a place for the "extras." Vegetables such as rhubarb and asparagus need a permanent space since they are perennials.
How to rotate
The vegetables within each of these groups attract the same diseases and pests. When you plan your garden, divide the available space into four main sections. Grow all of the beans and peas in section one the first year, then move them to section two for the next year, and so on. You rotate the vegetables in your garden like a pinwheel, with year five bringing each of the vegetable groups back to its original location. You're going to have the vegetables all in the same garden. You'll just have them in a different part of it every year. If you grow in containers, either change out your soil every year or rotate your crops as if they were inground. Consistant vegetable rotation will help ensure healthy crops for many years.
