Crop Rotation
@belindayhughes (1096)
United States
March 1, 2013 3:14am CST
Crop Rotation is an important part of the gardening process. It helps you increase yields, reduce diseases and pests and nourish the soil. Large scale farmers practice crop rotation by planting cotton in a plot one year, then soybeans the next. The soybeans add nitrogen, which is an important nutrient for plants, to the soil. Backyard gardeners rotate members of the nightshade family to altogether different spots from one year to the next, sometimes even waiting three years to return any nightshades to a previously occupied area of the garden. Nightshades include tobacco, potatoes, tomatoes, peppers and eggplants. If you don't rotate nightshades away from the previous year's planting spots, you could easily find yourself dealing with all kinds of pests and diseases that love to prey upon that family of food crops. Most any crops can benefit from crop rotation.
2 people like this
4 responses
@marguicha (230350)
• Chile
9 Mar 13
I have heard of crop rotation, but I`d like to know how you can do that when your plot is very small, as mine is. I plant some veggies in containers and what I do is mix the old soil with bought soil half and half and fill the containers again. Would that be enough?
1 person likes this
@belindayhughes (1096)
• United States
10 Mar 13
@marguicha: If you are growing nightshades, like bella donna, potatoes, tomatoes, peppers and/or eggplants, I would separate those containers from one another as best you can, and not mix their soils with each other. You can still practice crop rotation by planting bush beans, nasturtiums, marigolds and catnip with bleach-cleaned tomato cages in the nightshades' bleach-cleaned pots, then plant nightshades with basil and marigolds in bleach-cleaned pots that have not held nightshades the previous year. Then rotate back and forth as the years roll past. Make sure the bleached items are well rinsed and dried before applying soil, seeds and plants, because bleach kills germs, but breaks down into water and salt, which could kill your soil. By simply rinsing and drying thoroughly after bleaching, you get all the benefits and peace of mind.
@marguicha (230350)
• Chile
7 Apr 13
Thanks for reminding me of this. I will check online to see how can I do it for my very small vegetable plot. I have raised beds (2) and add some new soil every year, but I`m sure I could better the soil with other ideas.
1 person likes this
@belindayhughes (1096)
• United States
16 Apr 13
Hello marguicha, nice to see you again. Crop Rotation is essential, whether you are gardening in raised beds, containers, vertically or in rows. Search for garden blog entries on soil amendments and soil conditioning for best results on how to care for your soil in different situations.
@wolfie34 (26770)
• United Kingdom
1 Mar 13
Thank you as always for your wealth of information, it also corrected my thinking because when you spoke of Nightshades, I think of the highly poisonous plant deadly nightshade or bella donna. I didn't know potatoes, tomatoes and peppers were classed as nightshades. I remember being taught about crop rotation and arable farming at school.
1 person likes this
@belindayhughes (1096)
• United States
10 Mar 13
Hello, wolfie, my friend! I had forgotten to mention bella donna, and me a Stevie Nicks fan. But yes, potatoes, tomatoes, peppers and eggplant are all members of the nightshade family, which is something they forget to mention in school, most times. It is wise for home gardeners and farmers to update and continue their education about crop rotation once out of school and in active practice of raising food and ornamentals. More information is always available with each new day, through academic studies at agricultural universities, trade magazines, county agricultural agents, supplier sites on the web and gardening and farming friends. Each year I learn more new information and put some of it to use, to great effect.
@roshigo58 (4856)
• Pune, India
1 Mar 13
Hi,
I have studied all this in my school times. Crop rotation is very important. By growing same type of crop again and again the nutritional value of land goes on decreasing. Crop rotation is helpful in increasing nutrients in the land.
1 person likes this
@belindayhughes (1096)
• United States
10 Mar 13
Hello again, roshigo, thanks for contributing to this discussion on crop rotation. It seems we all are taught about crop rotation in school. However, it is another thing to be an adult practicing crop rotation in order to grow your own food at better prices, no pesticide, ripening chemicals or trucking about and more selection than the supermarket. You have to not only remember your school lessons, but also extend your knowledge through books, web and learning from friendships with fellow gardeners and farmers about what's working, what's not working and what's new and available. It's a constant process.
