How would I rotate crops in 2 beds?
Okay, as you guys know about my endeavor with the raised bed and square foot gardening that I will be taking on in January, I need some assistance and a basic question. I will be doing alot of planting with brassicae plants and greens of all sorts in my little garden, whereas the big garden @ my grandfather's place will be primarily the larger plants with heads and more spacy plants, as well as probably the area for the tomato and pepper plants. I will have 2 4x4 beds @ the apartment and was wondering how rotation would work. would I just alternate beds, or would I alternate plots? I don't know how important rotation is because I never hear my grandfather talk about rotation and I've seen him plant the same crop in the same spot year after year with very little problem with pest and disease. Thanks for any info!
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DoubleDogFarm
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applestar
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It's hard to say without knowing what you plant to grow. You seemed to imply that you'd just grow brassicas and greens in your 2 4x4's but wouldn't it make more sense to grow just one or two plants of most everything you'd like to be able to step out and pluck for your meals?
I would work out the two groups of crops you would like to grow in the two beds, then switch back and forth, or even come up with 4 groups and plant two of the groups each year.
I have a small 8.5' diameter, circular "Kitchen Garden" bed just off the patio for that purpose. When I want a tomato or lettuce/greens to put in my sandwich, or a sprig of parsley or basil for my pasta, I just take a few steps out of the kitchen door. This is only the 2nd year, but I "rotated" only in the sense that I marked off the bed sections and didn't plant the same crop in the same spot as last year. By paying attention to the cool/warm growing seasons, you can grow quite a bit even in a small space.
This year, I started out with strawberries, calendula, thyme, lemon balm, anise hyssop, rosemary, garlic and Chinese leeks (perennials or planted previous fall), peas, broadbeans, lettuce, kohlrabi, beets, carrots, parsley, dill, cilantro, Swiss chard, onions, and potatoes. Then 3 tomato and 2 pepper plants, one zucchini, pole beans, a couple of sweet potato slips, nasturtium, and some basil went in, as well as other herbs. For fall, I planted peas again and some green onions. I did sow other seeds and had some kale, etc., but sweet potato vines and the zucchini vines took up a lot of space, plus many seeds failed to sprout due mostly to the drought and lack of consistent watering.
I have other larger beds for main production tomatoes and other crops. Also, I have similarly smaller and more manageable sized beds all around the house, which makes it easier to rotate, or even separate different varieties of corn.
I would work out the two groups of crops you would like to grow in the two beds, then switch back and forth, or even come up with 4 groups and plant two of the groups each year.
I have a small 8.5' diameter, circular "Kitchen Garden" bed just off the patio for that purpose. When I want a tomato or lettuce/greens to put in my sandwich, or a sprig of parsley or basil for my pasta, I just take a few steps out of the kitchen door. This is only the 2nd year, but I "rotated" only in the sense that I marked off the bed sections and didn't plant the same crop in the same spot as last year. By paying attention to the cool/warm growing seasons, you can grow quite a bit even in a small space.
This year, I started out with strawberries, calendula, thyme, lemon balm, anise hyssop, rosemary, garlic and Chinese leeks (perennials or planted previous fall), peas, broadbeans, lettuce, kohlrabi, beets, carrots, parsley, dill, cilantro, Swiss chard, onions, and potatoes. Then 3 tomato and 2 pepper plants, one zucchini, pole beans, a couple of sweet potato slips, nasturtium, and some basil went in, as well as other herbs. For fall, I planted peas again and some green onions. I did sow other seeds and had some kale, etc., but sweet potato vines and the zucchini vines took up a lot of space, plus many seeds failed to sprout due mostly to the drought and lack of consistent watering.
I have other larger beds for main production tomatoes and other crops. Also, I have similarly smaller and more manageable sized beds all around the house, which makes it easier to rotate, or even separate different varieties of corn.
Last edited by applestar on Wed Nov 03, 2010 2:49 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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jal_ut
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For our small home gardens crop rotation is not really something we need to worry much about. Soil nutrition is where we can do the most good.
Insects are really pretty mobile. It isn't going to make much difference from this bed to that one. As far as diseases, I have always felt the best thing to do to prevent it from spreading is to remove diseased plants. Don't put them in the compost, but send them to the landfill.
It is OK to rotate, and I do that in my garden to a point, but I don't worry too much about it. Tomatoes, potatoes, tomatillos, and peppers are all in the same family and suffer from the same diseases, so it is well to move them from year to year in case of soil borne pathogens. This family is really the only family I have had any disease problems with. Planting varieties with disease resistance is a big help.
Insects are really pretty mobile. It isn't going to make much difference from this bed to that one. As far as diseases, I have always felt the best thing to do to prevent it from spreading is to remove diseased plants. Don't put them in the compost, but send them to the landfill.
It is OK to rotate, and I do that in my garden to a point, but I don't worry too much about it. Tomatoes, potatoes, tomatillos, and peppers are all in the same family and suffer from the same diseases, so it is well to move them from year to year in case of soil borne pathogens. This family is really the only family I have had any disease problems with. Planting varieties with disease resistance is a big help.
