One of the simplest ways to keep your crops healthy is to move particular crops from bed to bed every year, so that plant diseases and insect pests can’t get a hold as easily as they otherwise might. While this can be difficult in a small garden, it’s not impossible. If you know how to plant your crops in sequence, you can maximize both your space and your soil health quite easily.
Garden Crop Rotation Quick List
Here’s a quick list for rotation crops in the garden. Check out the image below, too!
The point is to partner plants that are significantly different from one another!
- potatoes after sweet corn
- peas after tomatoes
- tomatoes after beans
- sweet corn after cabbages
- root crops after cucumbers or squash
Crop Rotation Tips
1. Sketch a garden map and label where you plant your crops. Keep these for a couple of years for a planting history. This will help you keep garden records for crop rotation.
2. Keep in mind not all plants make happy pairs, however, no matter how different they may seem. For example: never rotate squash, pumpkins, cucumbers, zucchini, melons, gourds, or mallows (e.g., yellow crookneck or straight-neck “squash”) with each other, because they’re too closely related and are often subject to the same diseases and insect pests. The same is true of peas, beans, and peanuts, all of which are types of legumes; cabbage family plants (including mustard, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and cauliflower); and nightshade species like tomatoes, potatoes, and eggplants.
Want to learn more about crop rotation?
Wanting more information on the benefits and how to rotate garden crops? We’ve gathered a resource list to for you. Check out these helpful resources:
Crop Rotation is our own article with more information.
PDF on Crop Rotations from Tennessee Department of Agriculture.
Crop Rotation Home Vegetable Garden from University of Wisconsin-Extension. This resource has an easy to use list of Common Vegetables and Their Plant Family Classifications.
Crop Rotation on Organic Farms: A Planning Manual from Natural Resource, Agriculture, and Engineering Service (NRAES) Cooperative Extension. This is a detailed 164 page PDF with everything you’ve ever wanted to know about crop rotation and is an excellent resource. You can print for personal use, or purchase the manual.