Planning a Vegetable Garden: Crop Rotation Techniques
Planning a vegetable garden is something that most avid gardeners begin right after Christmas and continue until the ground can finally be broken in late spring. Many will begin planting seeds indoors to speed the harvest, and others will pore over seed catalogues to find the perfect carrot hybrid. Another aspect of planning a vegetable garden that is very important in ensuring that all of your plants get the proper nutrients is crop rotation. By rotating your crops every year, you will ensure that the micronutrients remain intact in the soil, and you will greatly reduce the occurrence of soil diseases. It is not hard to work crop rotation into planning a vegetable garden as long as you start early and follow a few basic principles.
Perennials should Stay Put
Most of your vegetable garden crops are annuals, which means that they are replanted every year. These are the plants that you will consider for placement and rotation when planning a vegetable garden. Other crops will come back year after year, and these are known as perennials. Some common vegetable garden perennials include artichokes, asparagus and rhubarb. These plants will not shift position, and this should also be taken into consideration when it comes to planning a vegetable garden. In most cases, it is best to plant perennials along the side or out of the way of the rest of the crops to make crop rotation of your annuals an easier task.
Understanding the Vegetable Families
When it comes to crop rotation and planning a vegetable garden, the first step is to understand the different vegetable families. It is these families that should be rotated each year, so that each group will be in a different spot for four consecutive seasons. The Allium family includes crops like onions, garlic and leeks. Brassicus are plants like broccoli, kale and brussel sprouts. Crucifers include many root vegetables such as turnips and radishes, and the cucurbits family encompasses cucumbers, squash and melons. Legumes basically consist of peas and beans and solanaceae includes tomatoes, eggplant and peppers.
By rotating these vegetable families every year when planning a vegetable garden, you can rest assured that you crops will receive the best soil and conditions to thrive throughout the season. Rotate your crops in these groupings, keeping your garlic and onions growing together and your tomatoes and peppers in a single spot. This simple process will offer the greatest harvest for your planting efforts by providing the maximum nutrients and greatly reducing your risk of disease.
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