Monday, August 17, 2009

Crop Rotation Plan for the Home Garden

   
     Why rotate your backyard garden crops? Many of the plants that are in the same "family group" have diseases in common. Many of these diseases are difficult, or impossible, to control using chemicals. The best solution for disease control is crop rotation. 

     Also, choose resistant varieties of vegetables to help thwart diseases. For example, tomatoes with a "V" "F" and/or "N" after their names indicates resistance to verticillium wilt, fusarium wilt and nematodes. 

     For crops with no resistant varieties, choose those varieties that are meant to grow in the area you live. And, it helps to spread an inch or two of compost over all your garden beds before you plant each year.



CROP ROTATION FOR THE HOME GARDEN
YEAR 1
BED 1
BED 2
BED 3
BED 4
BED 5
BED 6
Spread compost.
Plant a cover crop.
Tomato
Pepper
Okra
Potato
Eggplant
Onions
Garlic
Beets
Carrots
Peas
Beans
Squash
Pumpkins
Melons
Cucumbers
Corn
Cabbage, Lettuce
Spinach, Radish
Turnip, Broccoli,
Brussels sprouts
Kale, Cauliflower,
Mustard
YEAR 2
BED 1
BED 2
BED 3
BED 4
BED 5
BED 6
Cabbage, Lettuce
Spinach, Radish
Turnip, Broccoli,
Brussels sprouts
Kale, Cauliflower,
Mustard
Spread compost.
Plant a cover crop.
Tomato
Pepper
Okra
Potato
Eggplant
Onions
Garlic
Beets
Carrots
Peas
Beans
Squash
Pumpkins
Melons
Cucumbers
Corn
YEAR 3
BED 1
BED 2
BED 3
BED 4
BED 5
BED 6
Squash
Pumpkins
Melons
Cucumbers
Corn
Cabbage, Lettuce
Spinach, Radish
Turnip, Broccoli,
Brussels sprouts
Kale, Cauliflower,
Mustard
Spread compost.
Plant a cover crop.
Tomato
Pepper
Okra
Potato
Eggplant
Onions
Garlic
Beets
Carrots
Peas
Beans


YEAR 4
BED 1
BED 2
BED 3
BED 4
BED 5
BED 6
Peas
Beans
Squash
Pumpkins
Melons
Cucumbers
Corn
Cabbage, Lettuce
Spinach, Radish
Turnip, Broccoli,
Brussels sprouts
Kale, Cauliflower,
Mustard
Spread compost.
Plant a cover crop.
Tomato
Pepper
Okra
Potato
Eggplant
Onions
Garlic
Beets
Carrots

YEAR 5
BED 1
BED 2
BED 3
BED 4
BED 5
BED 6
Onions
Garlic
Beets
Carrots
Peas
Beans
Squash
Pumpkins
Melons
Cucumbers
Corn
Cabbage, Lettuce
Spinach, Radish
Turnip, Broccoli,
Brussels sprouts
Kale, Cauliflower,
Mustard
Spread compost.
Plant a cover crop.
Tomato
Pepper
Okra
Potato
Eggplant

YEAR 6
BED 1
BED 2
BED 3
BED 4
BED 5
BED 6
Tomato
Pepper
Okra
Potato
Eggplant
Onions
Garlic
Beets
Carrots
Peas
Beans
Squash
Pumpkins
Melons
Cucumbers
Corn
Cabbage, Lettuce
Spinach, Radish
Turnip, Broccoli,
Brussels sprouts
Kale, Cauliflower,
Mustard
Spread compost.
Plant a cover crop.

ANNUAL COVER CROPS FOR CALIFORNIA
Warm Weather: Buckwheat, cowpeas, soybeans, black eye peas.
Cool Weather: bell or fava beans, winter peas, vetch, clover.

6 comments:

  1. Thanks! This was on my list of "things to figure out." One down, seven or eight to go.

    Can you teach me how to knit? That's next on the list. ;o)

    ReplyDelete
  2. this is the coolest crop rotation wheel! you do good work, man... I especially love the rotating cover crop...and I love the shape, even if my veg garden isn't circular. pout.

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  3. Very cool plan. Can't wait to try this.

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  4. Old post, but I just wanted to say how much I like this!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Just wanted to post something here to let you know this is STILL a great & relevant article! Thank you for the help.

    ReplyDelete
  6. How do you apply this for a rectangular garden?

    ReplyDelete