Spring Vegetable Garden Series - Crop Rotation

There is another aspect to be considered in making each vegetable do its best in your garden, and that is crop rotation, or the following of any vegetable with a different type at the next planting.

Image via WikipediaWith some vegetables, such as cabbage, this is almost imperative, but it will improve the results for most of your plants. Even onions, which are popularly supposed to be the exception to the rule, are healthier, and do a little better after some other crop,  provided  the soil is as finely pulverized and rich as a previous crop of onions would leave it.

Here are the fundamental rules of crop rotation:

(1) Crops of the same vegetable, or vegetables of the same family (such as turnips and cabbage, tomatoes and peppers, etc.) should not follow each other.

(2) Vegetables that feed near the surface, such as corn, should follow deep-rooting crops.

(3) Vines or leaf crops should follow root crops.

(4) Quick-growing crops should follow those occupying the land all season.

These are the general principles which should determine rotation of crops. The proper time to attend to this matter is when making the planting plan, before starting your garden for the season. You will then have time to do it properly, and will need to give it no further thought until the next year.

Be sure to check back next week, when we will be getting into the yummy stuff - individual vegetables, and planting/growing tips for each one!

Related Articles on Crop Rotation:

• Diagram for the Vegetable Garden (theorganicchickenlady.wordpress.com)
• Why Crop Rotation Is Important (glenns-garden.com)
• Crop Rotation (theorganicallotment.wordpress.com)
• Vegetable Gardening: How to Mix Plants (gardencheapmidwest.wordpress.com)