Idaholace
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Joined: Sat Jan 16, 2010 12:15 pm
Location: Idaho

Rotating veggies

I know that corn takes a lot out of the ground and should be moved, or ground amended prior to planting. I know planting beans with corn helps.
But what about other veggies. Any observations, suggestions as to rotating veggies or those that prefer to stay where they are ???

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rainbowgardener
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Location: TN/GA 7b

Most things can benefit from rotation, except the perennials. Berry bushes, rhubarb, etc stays put. Tomatoes definitely are supposed to be rotated to help cut down on diseases. That said you work with what you've got. I'm a city gardener on a lot with trees and I really only have one spot sunny enough for the tomatoes (well that isn't already given over to the bees, butterflies, hummingbirds flower garden.. priorities! :) ). So that's where my tomatoes stay. But I know that is less than ideal.

garden5
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As Rainbow said, the rotation of crops really protects against disease. It also protects, in some cases, against insect infestation. Look at it this way: insects come along and find their favorite plant to devour, the eat the plant, lay their eggs, then do whatever. Next year, you plant the same plant, the same bugs hatch out of the eggs, cocoon, etc. and then have a birthday feast. Of course, this is truer for some vegetables than for others.

Also, some vegetables are heavy feeders on a particular nutrient and if you don't keep up with the soil, but plant the same plant there continually, you can very well have depletion of that nutrient.

But, as Rainbow said, we make due with what we have.

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jal_ut
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For most of our small home gardens, crop rotation is nothing we need to worry much about. What makes more sense is to amend our soils with plenty of organic matter to keep its fertility up.

Any insects that are wintering over in our gardens can surely travel clear across our garden in a minute. You can't move your plants far enough to get away from them.

Planting varieties that have disease resistance is our best disease prevention.

Yes, the legumes may beef up the nitrogen in our soils, but rather than plant beans with corn, I would follow beans with corn. Both seem to do better if they are not in competition with each other for sunlight and root space.



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