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Crop Rotation

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12:31 am
Mon, Nov 19, 2007

kitchensqueen

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I've been playing around with crop rotation and planning, and I've come up with a basic rotation, based on eight plots/eight years:

-Potato

-Carrot

-Bean/Pea/Soybean

-Garlic/Leek/Onion

-Broccoli/Cabbage/Kale

-Watermelon/Cucumber/Zucchini

-Tomato/Pepper

-Lettuce/Spinach

I will have seperate plots for sweet corn/popcorn and pumpkins/gourds.

I'm not sure about the carrots following the potatoes, and the fact that I have large-vining watermelon thrown into the mix. I also haven't even taken into account crop yields, and succession planting… and I'm working with a total of 39 different varieties… I just needed a square to start in. Feedback appreciated!

6:09 am
Sat, Nov 24, 2007

Mike (tfb)

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I've used a modified version of Coleman's 8-year rotation (from New Organic Grower) for five seasons, and I can't honestly say I've noticed benefits. What I mean is, it makes sense to rotate crops, but it's hard (at least, for me in my size garden) to actually say, "Oh, this did better, or that wasn't overrun by pests, because of the rotation." I'd have to do little experiments, like growing a few tomatoes in the same spot for a few years, trying two rotations side by side, and so forth, to actually compare results. Meanwhile, I rotate on faith, and everything seems to be doing well!

One thing I notice in your rotation is that you have the tomatoes and potatoes only two years apart. By the rules of thumb, you want to separate that plant family as far as possible, so in an 8-year, you could have them four years apart.

Also, IF peas/beans contribute significant nitrogen that carries over to the next season, then you may want to have them before the brassicas, which are definitely heavy feeders. (I say "if" because in theory they're supposed to, but how they're planted, when they're harvested, how the residue is incorporated and so forth, I'm sure determines the nitrogen contribution, it's not an automatic thing, like, "plant peas, get useful nitrogen carryover." I'm still trying to find answers for this.)

I'll do more reading on rotation this winter, and post back with anything that seems useful and practical.

Mike (Plan Be) recently posted about the thinking behind his own 7-year rotation.

BTW, Amanda, if you're going for 8 years, why not just use or adapt Coleman's, he's already done the R&D and years of field testing?! ;)

2:39 am
Sun, Nov 25, 2007

kitchensqueen

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if you're going for 8 years, why not just use or adapt Coleman's, he's already done the R&D and years of field testing?!

An excellent question with an obvious answer- of course I should basically use Coleman's rotation! The eight year is 'hidden' at the very end of the chapter on rotation, and I just overlooked it. Silly me… anyway, slightly altered here's what I'll use:

Potatoes

Lettuce/Spinach

Cabbage/Kale/Broccoli

Peas/Cover Crop

Tomatoes

Beans

Roots (Carrots, Onions, Leeks, Garlic)

Squash (Watermelon, Cucumber, Zucchini)

Still seperate plots for sweet corn, pumpkins and herbs. I might switch the Peas/Cover Crop with the Lettuce/Spinach for the nitrogen benefits… still want to do some more reading/research on the factors you mention above before deciding. My next step- calculating yield per season and succession planting!

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