Crop Rotation: Why Changing Beds Matters
Planting tomatoes in the same spot every year leads to weaker harvests and more disease. The solution is crop rotation — an ancient practice that works just as well in a small home garden as on a farm.
The Four-Year Rotation
Divide your beds into four groups and rotate annually:
- Year 1 — Heavy feeders: Tomatoes, squash, zucchini, cabbage, corn, cucumbers
- Year 2 — Moderate feeders: Carrots, onions, beets, lettuce, chard, fennel
- Year 3 — Light feeders: Beans, peas, radishes, herbs, garlic
- Year 4 — Cover crop: Clover, buckwheat, winter rye (optional but highly beneficial)
Why Rotation Works
Each plant family draws specific nutrients from the soil and leaves behind particular root exudates. Without rotation, the soil becomes depleted in certain nutrients while soil-borne diseases like fusarium wilt and clubroot build up to damaging levels.
Mind Your Plant Families
Beyond nutrient needs, track botanical families: nightshades (tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, eggplant) should have at least a 3-year break. Brassicas (cabbage, broccoli, radishes, kale) likewise. Alliums (onions, garlic, leeks) benefit from rotation too.
Legumes Fix Nitrogen
Beans and peas are not just light feeders — they actively fix atmospheric nitrogen into the soil through symbiotic bacteria on their roots. Plant heavy feeders in beds where legumes grew the previous year to take advantage of this natural fertilization.
Track Your Rotation in Seedtojar
Seedtojar lets you record what you planted in each bed every year. The app warns you when you are about to place a plant family in a bed too soon. This way your soil stays healthy and productive for decades.