how important is crop rotation in a backyard vegie garden?

[bhapimama]

this is my 2nd year with my backyard vegie garden. a few years back, I made my first, somewhat successful attempt in a smaller area - but when the kids finally outgrew the trampoline and I had some room, I got a little more serious and last year I had a great garden. when I originally started a few years ago, I grew some tomatoes and they did great for a while and then suddenly fell ill - my neighbor, who's been gardening a long time said it was most likely a virus in the soil. so when I started my garden last year, I built two raised beds 4'x5' each. I grew my tomatos in one of those and they did great. I have strawberries in the other. In addition, I have two plots: one is approx 10' x 15' and the other is 6' x 12'. I had corn in the 6'x12' area and zucchini, pumpkins, cucumber, lettuce, and green beans in the other. This year, I want to grow all of those things plus some onions and potatoes. I'm aprehensive about moving the tomatos out of the raised bed for fear of the dreaded virus...

[hit or miss]

I like to rotate my crops from area to area on a 3 year rotation. That said, many folks don't rotate and have good success. How's that for a non-answer?

[Kisal]

When I gardened in the ground, I faithfully followed what my grandmother had taught me and rotated my tomato plants with my bean plants every year. Then, I began gardening in containers, and for some reason, got the idea that I didn't need to bother with crop rotation anymore ... until the year arrived when I lost every tomato plant I planted. Ever since then, I use new soil each year for my tomatoes.

As hit or miss stated, some people seem to get along just fine without crop rotation. I learned the hard way that I'm not a member of that lucky group.

[jal_ut]

I like to rotate because I feel it may help avoid some diseases. One thing I can recommend is grow tomato varieties with disease resistance.

Tomatoes, peppers and potatoes are all in the same family and susceptible to the same diseases.

[bhapimama]

does that mean crops can stay in the same location for three years ? - or does it mean that they cannot be in the same place for three years?

[gumbo2176]

My garden is relatively small and I do my best to move things from row to row over the years. This year I have tomatoes planted where I had eggplants planted last year. I have 2 trellises I use for pole beans and cucumbers and rotate the crop from year to year, beans one year, cucs the next. My soybeans for edamame are in a different row that last season, etc.

The only thing I plant in the same spot every summer is Okra. I've been growing it in the same 2 partial rows for years now and it never ceases to amaze me with the amount it produces.

[gumbo2176]

does that mean crops can stay in the same location for three years ? - or does it mean that they cannot be in the same place for three years?

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That means you don't plant in the same location but once in 3 years.

[lily51]

I have 4 raised veggie garden beds with an herb area in the middle. The perennial herbs are there, but I relocate the annuals.
I rotate the vegetables for the same reasons as Jal. The strawberry bed stays there 3 years of production, but then I relocate it, too.

Looking for some sun and heat so we can actually get the garden going.

[rainbowgardener]

Try typing crop rotation or rotating crops in the Search the Forum key word box to find lots of information already here about it. Here's some samples:


http://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/v ... ops#156611


http://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/v ... highlight=


http://www.helpfulgardener.com/forum/v ... 136#161136