Vegetable Crop Rotation

By Steve Albert On April 6 In Gardening Tips

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Crop rotation will benefit vegetable crops in two ways: first,

it will prevent the build-up of soil-borne pests and diseases;
second, it will allow for the replenishment and efficient use
of soil nutrients.

Crop rotation is the practice of growing different crops,

rather than the same vegetable or members of the same
family of vegetables, in the same place each year.

To minimize pest and disease problems and to help renew soil nutrients, members of the same plant
family should not be planted in the same part of the garden more than once every three or four
years.

Vegetable insect pests tend to feed on similar plants and members of the same plant family. For
example, an insect pest that attacks and eats cabbage will lay its eggs before it dies. If cabbage or a
member of the cabbage family is planted in the same spot the next year, the eggs of the insect will
hatch and the pests will find exactly the food they need to continue the pest life cycle. Soilborne
diseases–fungi, bacteria, and viruses–also can be hosted by specific plants as well. Removing host
plants or alternating unrelated plants into the garden can break the cycle of pests and disease.

Crop rotation also helps prevent soil nutrients from being depleted. Vegetables draw upon a wide
range of soil nutrients for growth: nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium are the key or major soil
nutrients. Members of the same vegetable family usually draw the same nutrients from the soil.

Crop rotation will prevent the soil from wearing out: heavy nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium
feeding crops such as tomatoes are rotated with soil-building crops such as beans which add
nitrogen to the soil and then with light-feeding crops such as onions.

Major plant families and some notes on crop rotation:

• Onion Family (Amaryllis Family, Amaryllidaceae): Garlic, onions, leeks, shallots. These are light
feeders. Plant these after heavy feeders. Follow these crops with legumes.
• Cabbage Family (Brassica, Cruciferae): Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, Chinese
cabbage, collards, cress, kale, kohlrabi, radishes, turnips. These are heavy feeders. These crops
should follow legumes. After these crops allow the garden to go fallow for a season or plant a cover
crop or add plenty of compost and organic matter to the garden.
• Lettuce Family (Composite, Daisy Family, Asteraceae): Artichokes, chicory, endive, lettuce. These
are heavy feeders. Follow these crops with legumes.
• Beet Family (Goosefoot Family, Chenopodiaceae): Beets, spinach, Swiss chard. These are heavy
feeders. Follow these crops with legumes.
• Grass Family (Graminae): Grains–corn, oats, rye, wheat. Follow these crops with members of the
tomato or Solanaceae family.
• Bean Family (Legume, Leguminosae): Beans and peas, clover, vetch. These crops enrich the soil,
soil builders. Plant these crops before or after any other crop family.
• Tomato Family (Nightshade Family, Solanaceae): Eggplant, peppers, tomatoes, potatoes. These
crops are heavy feeders. Plant these crops after members of the grass family. Follow these crops
with legumes.

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• Squash Family (Cucurbitaceae): Cucumbers, melons, summer and winter squash, pumpkins,
watermelon. These crops are heavy feeders. Plant these crops after members of the grass family.
Follow these crops with legumes.
• Carrot Family (Umbellifer Family, Umbelliferae): Carrots, celery, anise, coriander, dill, fennel,
parsley. These are light to medium feeders. These crops can follow any other group. Follow these
crops with legumes, onions, or let the garden sit fallow for a season.

You can use the notes above to accomplish crop rotation or you can simplify the rotation as follows:
Simple Four-Year Crop Rotation Plan:
To follow a simple four-year crop rotation, divide your garden into four areas or plots: Plot One, Plot
Two, Plot Three, and Plot Four. In each of the next four years, grow a different crop or different
members of the four crop families in a different plot following this rotation:
• Plot One: Tomato family (year 1); Onion family (year 2); Bean family (year 3); Cabbage family (year
4).
• Plot Two: Cabbage family (year 1); Tomato family (year 2); Onion family (year 3); Bean family (year
4).
• Plot Three: Bean family (year 1); Cabbage family (year 2); Tomato family (year 3); Onion family
(year 4).
• Plot Four: Onion family (year 1); Bean family (year 2); Cabbage family (year 3); Tomato family (year
4).

This four-year crop rotation intersperses members of the other vegetable families among members
of the Tomato, Onion, Bean, and Cabbage families. Here is how they are grouped:

1. Tomato Family and others (Solanaceae family)

Tomatoes Beets Salsify
Peppers Carrots Scorzonera
Eggplant Celeriac and celery
Potatoes Parsnips

2. Bean Family (Leguminosae family)

Peas French (green) beans
Broad (fava) beans Runner beans

3. Cabbage Family and others (Brassica family)

Broccoli Calabrese (Italian sprouting Radishes
Brussels sprouts broccoli) Rutabagas (Swedes)
Cabbages Cauliflowers Turnip

4. Onion Family and others (Allium family)

Garlic Shallots
Leeks Sweet corn
Lettuces Squashes, zucchini, and pumpkins (marrow
Onions and courgettes
Perennial Vegetables
Not included in crop rotation are perennial vegetable crops which grow in the same spot for several
years in a row. Perennial crops include:
Asparagus
Globe artichokes
Jerusalem artichokes

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Perennial herbs
Rhubarb
Seakale

Small garden crop rotation:

No garden is too small for crop rotation. A simple garden map showing where each crop is planted
will help you plan and plant a different crop in that spot next year. To plan crop rotation in a small
garden, map out strips or blocks–rows or square feet–and avoid planting vegetables from the same
crop family in that spot more than once every three years.

Crop Rotation Planning

By Steve Albert On October 29 In Gardening Tips
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Crop rotation is the practice of changing or alternating the

crops in a given area of the garden. Rotating crops will
stem the depletion of soil nutrients and prevent or reduce
the build-up of pest and disease problems.

Crops that are heavy feeders and require more soil

nutrients can be rotated with light feeders and soil-
enriching crops, such as legumes.

Pest and disease problems can be minimized by not

planting members of the same plant family in same part of the garden more than once every three
or four years.

Suggestions for Crop Rotation

Here are the major vegetable plant families and suggestions for crop rotation:
• Onion Family, Amaryllidaceae: Garlic, onions, leeks, shallots. These are light feeders. Plant onion
family crops after heavy feeders. Follow onion family crops with legumes.
• Cabbage Family, Brassicaceae (Cruciferae): Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower,
Chinese cabbage, collards, cress, kale, kohlrabi, radishes, turnips. These are heavy feeders. Plant
cabbage family crops after legumes. After cabbage family crops build the soil for a season with a
cover crop or soil building compost or let the area sit fallow for a season after applying well-
aged manure.
• Lettuce Family, Asteraceae (Compositae): Artichokes, chicory, endive, lettuce. These are heavy
feeders. Follow lettuce family crops with soil building legumes.
• Grains, Grass Family, Poaceae (Gramineae): Grains–oats, corn, rye, wheat. Follow these crops
with tomato family plants.
• Legume Family, Fabaceae (Leguminosae): Beans, peas, clover, vetch. These are soil enrichers.
Follow legume family plants with any other crop.
• Tomato Family, Nightshade Family, Solanaceae: Eggplant, peppers, tomatoes,
potatoes. Nightshade family crops are heavy feeders. Plant these crops after grass family plants.
Follow heavy feeders with legume family crops to re-build the soil.
• Squash Family, Cucurbitaceae: Cucumbers, melons, summer and winter squash, pumpkins,
watermelon. Squash family plants are heavy feeders. Plant these crops after grass family plants.
Follow heavy feeders with legume family crops to re-build the soil.

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• Carrot Family, Apiaceae (Umbelliferae): Carrots, celery, anise, coriander, dill, fennel,
parsley. These are light to medium feeders. Carrot family crops can follow any other crop.
Follow carrot family crops with legumes or onion family crops.
Succession Planting
By Steve Albert On June 28 In Gardening Tips

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Succession planting means growing different crops in the same space

one right after the other in the same season, or planting the same
crop in different parts of the garden in succession at different times.

For example:
• A row of carrots is planted in early spring: after the carrots are harvested in early summer, the
vacated row is re-planted with snap beans for harvest in early fall. The two crops are grown on the
same ground.
Or:
• A garden space is divided into three sections: a first sowing of radishes is planted in the first
section; in 10 days, the second section is planted with radishes; in another 10 days the third section
is planted with radishes. Successive sowings of the same crop are made in different locations at 10-
day intervals.

Relay Cropping:
Succession planting allows for a continuous, uninterrupted harvest. Succession planting is
sometimes called relay cropping.

Succession planting is different than rotation cropping. Rotation cropping is the practice of not
planting the same crop in the same place for at least three successive years. Crop rotation ensures
that the same plants or plants from the same family will not deplete the same soil nutrients year
after year.

Whenever possible, do not plant successive crops of the same botanical family on the same ground.
For example, root vegetables such as carrots or radishes should follow vegetables grown for their
leaves or seeds, for example lettuce or beans. In a small garden, this may be difficult. If you do grow
the same vegetable in the same spot for two or three successive years, you must make extra efforts
to keep the ground fertile (add plenty of aged compost between plantings) and remove immediately
plants that become diseased.

There are no rules for succession planting. Any vegetable that is removed from the garden early
enough in the season can be followed by any other crop which will have time to mature.

Succession cropping examples:

For example, early beets and beet greens, early cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, kohlrabi, lettuce,
green onions, peas, radishes, spinach, and turnips can be planted early–these crops are cool-
weather crops. These crops can be followed by warm-weather crops such as beans, eggplant,
melons, peppers, tomatoes, or squash. In turn, warm-weather crops can be followed by cool-
weather crops that will mature in autumn. Any succession can be made that allows crops to reach
maturity within the growing season. Chard, Chinese cabbage, collards, corn salad, endive, kale,
leeks, lettuce, and mustard are cool-season crops that can follow warm-season crops for late
autumn and winter harvest.

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Sometimes, later crops can be seeded or transplanted among the first crop before it is harvested in
order to gain more time. This form of succession cropping is also called intercropping or
interplanting. Interplanting is often used in small gardens with a limited amount of space.
Interplanting works best when quick-maturing crops are planted between slower-maturing crops.

Quick-maturing crops include: radishes, leaf lettuce, green bunching onions, turnips, and mustard
greens. These crops require 60 days or less from sowing to harvest.

Slower or long-maturing crops include tomatoes, corn, squash, cabbage, eggplant, and peppers.
These crops require more than 60 days from sowing until harvest, often 90 days or more.

Catch cropping is a term used for filling a space in the garden where a plant has been harvested.
Catch cropping can be a form of succession planting; no part of the garden is left vacant during the
growing season.

The number of succession crops that can be grown in the garden in a growing season depends upon
the days to maturity for each crop and the number of days in the growing season. In short-season
areas, it is more realistic to aim for two successions of crops.

Step-by-step succession crop planning:

• Make a list of the crops you want to grow.

• Know number of days in the growing season, the approximate number of days between the last
expected frost in spring and the first expected frost in fall. This is the growing season. Ask is the
summer long enough to grow the crop you have in mind? Is the winter mild enough to over-winter
hardy crops?
• Know the number of days to harvest of each crop you plan to grow: the time in the garden for
long-staying main crops and for quick-maturing early crops or late crops.
• Decide if the growing season will be extended in spring or autumn by the use of protection:
cloches, floating row covers, plastic tunnels, or coldframe.
• Make a map or chart of the growing space or planting beds for the beginning, middle, and end of
the growing season: what spaces will be vacant when.
• Be flexible: soil and air temperatures, the weather, pests, diseases, and other unforeseen events
may alter your plans.
To know the number of days to maturity of many vegetable varieties, look up each vegetable under
its name in the Topics Index or check the How to Grow Archive for each plant.

Succession Cropping
By Steve Albert On May 15 In How to Grow

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Succession cropping will help you get the most out of your
vegetable garden.

Here are two succession cropping strategies:

 Plant a portion of a specific crop a little bit at a time;
for example, plant a row of beans today and a second row
three weeks from now. This will allow for a staggered or
succession of harvests.
 Plant a crop today and after harvesting the crop,

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 plant a second crop in the same place for a second harvest. For example, plant beets in the
cool spring and follow with a crop of peppers during the warm summer.

When planning your succession cropping keep the following in mind:

• Days to maturity and date of expected harvest. Each plant requires so many days from sowing to
reach harvest. The days to maturity for a crop and a succession crop must fit comfortably into your
growing season–the total number of frost-free days or growing days for each crop. (Or you must
plan to protect your crops from killing cold weather.) Be sure to plant warm-season crops so that
they will come to harvest in warm weather.

• Nutrient requirements. Crops from the same family are best not planted in succession; they have
the same nutrient requirements and will leave the soil lacking in specific nutrients if planted one
after the other. Allow for crop rotation or be sure to work well-aged compost or manure into the
soil before sowing the second crop. Crops from the same family also will be susceptible to the same
pests and diseases.

Here are succession-cropping suggestions that might work in your region:

Crop coming out Succession crops to follow

Artichoke, globe Green bean, pea
Broad bean, fava bean Brussels sprouts, late spring cabbage,corn, squash, kale, cardoon
Bush green or snap bean Main lettuce, endive, summer and winter spinach, kohlrabi, parsley
Pole green or snap bean
(longer cropping season Cauliflower, autumn sown cabbage
than bush bean)
Beet Broad, bush or pole green or snap bean, kale, pepper, chicory
Broccoli Celery, leek, maincrop potato, corn, kohlrabi, tomato, sunchoke
Early and second early potatoes, beet, celery, leek, mint, shallot,
Brussels sprouts
sunchoke
Cabbage (spring harvest) Radish, beet, kohlrabi, onion
Early potatoes, cucumber, radish, pepper, celeriac, chives, squash,
Cabbage (autumn harvest)
sunflower
Carrot Bush or pole beans, autumn harvest cabbage
Cauliflower Pea, maincrop potato, summer spinach, rutabaga
Celeriac Broad bean
Celery Garlic, mint, onion, shallot, savory
Chicory Broad bean, Brussels sprouts, carrot
Chives Broad or green bean, spring harvest cabbage, endive, corn, lettuce
Corn (sweet) Autumn harvest cabbage, pea, kohlrabi, lettuce, New Zealand spinach
Cucumber Maincrop potato, onion, pea, autumn harvest cabbage, carrot
Broad or green snap bean, kale, cauliflower, broccoli, autumn harvest
Garlic
cabbage
Kale Broad bean, pepper, early potato, carrot, rhubarb, celeriac
Kohlrabi Pea, summer and winter spinach, broad bean, autumn harvest cabbage
Leek Tomato, green bush or pole bean, cucumber
Lentil Corn, cauliflower, corn salad, endive, kohlrabi, onion, radish
Lettuce Potato, celery , leek

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New Zealand spinach Maincrop potatoes, corn, autumn harvest cabbage, Brussels sprouts
Onion Spring harvest cabbage
Parsnip Kale, broad bean, pepper, rhubarb, sunflower
Brussels sprouts, celery, spring harvest cabbage, autumn harvest
Pea cabbage, carrot, turnip, tomato, autumn harvest cauliflower, cucumber,
squash, autumn-sown onions, winter spinach, leek
Pepper Lettuce onion, radish, winter spinach
Potato (early) Spring harvest cabbage, Brussels sprouts, strawberries, tomato
Potato (second early) Kale, cabbage, savoy, pea
Potato (maincrop) Sprouting broccoli, spring harvest cabbage
Rutabaga Broad bean
Spinach Celery, second early potato, onion, tomato
Squash Tomato, spinach, parsley, kohlrabi, chervil, cauliflower
Sunflower Cabbage, winter squash
Tomato Onion, green bean, radish, lettuce, pea, beet, autumn harvest cabbage,
Turnip Pea, green bean

Vegetable Garden Cleanup

By Steve Albert On November 10 In Gardening Tips

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Chop plant debris to turn under or compost

 Clean the garden of plant debris and decaying vegetable matter at the end of the season to be
sure insect pests and plant diseases do not overwinter in your garden.
 At the end of harvest or after the first hard frost, clean the garden and compost plant refuse or
dispose of debris that is diseased or pest infested. Garden sanitation is important in preparing
for the next growing season.
 Remove dead or dying vegetable material to the compost pile or chop or break up plants as best
you can and turn them under so that beneficial soil organisms can begin the process of breaking
down organic material and returning it to the soil.
 Use a sharp bladed spade, machete, or tiller to chop debris into pieces. Plant material that is
chopped or shredded will be more easily digested by soil bacteria. If garden debris is left whole
in the garden pests can hide and overwinter and return to the garden in spring.
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 Remove and compost or turn under young weeds and grass that has not set seed from the
garden as well.
 Chop up the stems and leaves of broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and cauliflower plants, also tomato
vines, cornstalks, melons and squash vines. All of these will decompose faster if chopped into
small pieces.
 If you had problems with soil-dwelling pests such as wireworms during the past growing season
or if you suspect larvae or pests are in the soil, leave the soil exposed for several weeks after
cleanup allowing birds and the frost to kill them. Cultivate or turn the soil weekly to upturn soil
pests.
 Once planting beds are clean of debris and any remaining pests, plant a cover crop or mulch the
bed.
 Before mulching you can test the soil or amend the soil in anticipation of spring planting.

Pests that Commonly Overwinter in the Garden:

• Aphids overwinter in cabbage family stalks and leaves; pull up stumps of Brussels sprouts,
cabbages, and sprouting broccoli.
• Flea beetles overwinter in weeds and plant debris.
• Slugs and snails shelter and lay legs under plant debris and wood.
• Downy mildew fungi overwinter in plant debris.
Here are Related Articles:
Winter Mulching
Troubleshooting Pests and Diseases