shaefins
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What if you can't rotate the crops?

I have raised beds - one a 32 sf' "T" shaped, off the ground bed, and one 16 sq' square shaped on the ground bed. Due to location and sun, there are only so many ways I can plant. I'm concerned that I'm going to doom myself because I can't really rotate the crops. The tomatoes and cukes *have* to go in the on the ground bed. There's no way I can do them in the raised bed. What does this mean, as far as disease and pests go?

My original, and possibly naive, first time gardener plan was to just rake all the soil around the beds in the fall after everything is done, add in compost, dried leaves and other goodies, and do the same thing in the spring. Just mix it all up, because I get a LOT of settling and will definitely need to add in more medium before I can plant in the spring. Is this a mistake? Should I not disturb the soil this much?

Feeling very confused at this point.

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rainbowgardener
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The question of rotating crops is being discussed right now in a thread in the Tomato Forum:

https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=156611&highlight=rotate+crops#156611

Tomatoes are one of the crops considered most important to rotate as they are prone to some diseases (like early blight) that can over-winter in the soil. None the less people have to do what works. As I said in that thread, I grow my tomatoes in the same spot every year, because that's the spot I have that works. It may not be best, if I had more room, I would rotate them, but I keep getting tomatoes....

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applestar
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You could plant tomatoes where cukes were last year and vice versa. If you plant peas in early spring mid-March or so, that would add to the rotation. Usually, cukes get scraggly and don't last until frost for me so that area can fit a fall crop of spinach or asian turnip or greens, lettuce, etc. Or you could sow winter cover crop of winter killing crimson clover or oats, etc.

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rainbowgardener
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Here's another crop rotation thread:

https://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=28928&highlight=

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Scarecrow
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Like the OP I also have small beds and can't rotate as well.
My tomatoes will have to go back where tomatoes are now.

I do need to amend the soil to get the PH in line as it is a little on the acid side. My plan was to rake the fall leaves onto the beds and till them in. I'll add some lime before planting next year.

My cukes has powery mildew but I can plant them on the other side of the same bed next time.

Does amending the soil each year to build it up to a really good soil eliminate the need to rotate?

tedln
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Rebuilding the soil to the needs of the crop does minimize the need to rotate. If a soil pest like nematodes has developed, not rotating can be harmful to your crop. I always turn my beds over real deep two or three times between crops. I try to induce as much air into the soil as possible while drying it out. I am also adding my amendments like organics and minerals as I turn the soil. I have always felt it helps with soil born pests, but I don't have any evidence to prove it. Some methods such as solarizing the soil are also available. The objective is to heat the soil to a temperature higher than the soil pests can survive. Some people find it absolutely necessary to rotate. In my garden, I haven't seen the need, but I do it on a limited basis.

Ted

DoubleDogFarm
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In small gardens you also have to take into account, companion planting. I keep reading that Alliums (onions, garlic, etc) should not be planted close to legumes, (beans, peas, etc). I've never tested this or paid too much attenion to it either.

Eric

FieldofFlowers
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We can't rotate crops here either. Our whole back yard is probably smaller than many of the gardens here.

I try to plant things in any of the three or four places I can. But even still the same diseases can sometimes find their way to all places in the back yard. This year I ran out of room, so the excess had to be planted in containers or left in the seed starter containers. I guess the other option is to go without a crop for a year, but I don't really desire that.

garden5
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You do what you can. If you can't rotate, you could at least turn your soil and introduce compost intermittently. Also, you could try not growing some crops next year that you did this year, and try something else. However, that can be hard to do with a favorite like the tomato.

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Scarecrow
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All good info folks! Thanks everyone!
Also thanks to shaefins for asking the question I have wanted to ask.

Good info for us beginners!

Scarecrow

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soil
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do you plant things after and before your tomato crops? we grow lettuce in the late fall and winter and in the spring we grow snow peas, then tomatoes again. along with increasing the biological diversity of the soil I have found that it helps keep disease away( lots of compost and wormcompost tea.

tedln
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soil wrote:do you plant things after and before your tomato crops? we grow lettuce in the late fall and winter and in the spring we grow snow peas, then tomatoes again. along with increasing the biological diversity of the soil I have found that it helps keep disease away( lots of compost and wormcompost tea.
In the past, tomatoes have been a single season crop. I don't usually leave the beds fallow after the tomatoes are finished. I may grow turnips, lettuce, or some winter crop which usually remains unharvested and turned back into the soil in the spring. At the very least, I plant winter rye in the bed. This year, I am attempting a double season crop of tomatoes. Tomatoes in the spring and new plants in the fall. The beds will still be rebuilt and have a cover crop for most of the winter. In fact, the beds have been turned over and organics added between tomato plantings.

Ted

garden5
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Oh, yeah, I forgot about cover crops. These are another option for those who can't rotate. There are some good threads on it going on here right now, if fact.



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