Crop Rotation

Crop rotation means not growing the same plant family in the same spot year after year. A common plan moves each family so it returns to a given bed only once every 3–4 years.

Pests and diseases that target a plant family build up in the soil where it grows. Rotating away starves them out. Families also draw different nutrients, so rotation keeps the soil more balanced and reduces the need for heavy feeding.

Group your crops by family — e.g. nightshades (tomato, pepper, eggplant), brassicas (broccoli, kale, cabbage), legumes (beans, peas), alliums (onion, garlic), cucurbits (squash, cucumber), and roots (carrot, beet). Divide the garden into sections and assign a family to each. Each year, shift every family to the next section. Keep simple notes of what grew where.

Follow heavy feeders (like tomatoes or squash) with soil-building legumes that fix nitrogen. Even in a small garden, swapping bed positions year to year helps. Records are what make rotation work — a quick map each season is enough.