Rotating crops

[chadspad]

Does anyone know which veggies definitely MUST be planted somewhere different from the previous year? Does that still apply if you use lots of cow poo and a rotovator to completely turn the soil over?

In particular Im interested in knowing about peas, chard/spinach, parsnips and squashes.

Cheers

[Green Aura]

The most obvious ones are brassicas. Growing them regularly in the same spot can attract clubroot. The other thing is that different groups have different nutritional demands so ratating can help with that too. Brassicas like a lot of nitrogen so if you grow legumes (peas and beans) before them and leave the roots in when you clear the bed, the nitrogen fixing nodules give lots back for the brassicas which follow.

Also carrots aren't so keen on manure, so you can grow something "hungry" the year before, the carrots will benefit the year after.

Of course none of this is set in stone - clubroot isn't inevitable, but much more likely if you don't shift them and carrots will grow in manured land so don't worry too much.

A simple four year rotation would be something like - legumes, (manure) brassicas, root crops, spuds or onions.

Quick growing things like salad stuff can be slotted in anywhere.

[Jessiebean]

I am interested in this concept too and wonder why it is yearly- why not season-ly? Why should the rotation be done every twelve months? For example following this logic I could plant two brassicas one after the other, one in summer and one in autumn...wouldn't that increase chances of clubroot? I would have though that the rotation should be done at the change of the seaon...but that sounds exhausting and fiddly...I don't know if I am making myself clear at all!

[Millymollymandy]

It wouldn't easily work because there would most likely be something else growing there already! It's hard enough sometimes doing crop rotation and working out the needs of different veg types when you have overwintering crops that are in the way of digging and prepping the soil for the next year/spring - especially things which stay in the ground for nearly two seasons such as Purple Sprouting Brocolli (PSB) which kind of gets in the way!

Edit: oops by 2 seasons I mean 2 growing years - they are in the ground for about 8-10 months but over two years.

[chadspad]

OK guys thats great info, thanks very much!

[Harasimow]

I am interested in this concept too and wonder why it is yearly- why not season-ly? Why should the rotation be done every twelve months? For example following this logic I could plant two brassicas one after the other, one in summer and one in autumn...wouldn't that increase chances of clubroot? I would have though that the rotation should be done at the change of the seaon...but that sounds exhausting and fiddly...I don't know if I am making myself clear at all!

Your right it should indeed be done seasonaly. Ive not tried it yet but one of my books recomends


summer legumes

Winter Brassica

Summer roots, corn, salads (other)

winter onions leeks garlic

summer potatoes

winter fallow