Crop Rotation The practice of planting different vegetables in different places in the garden each year.

Best Practice: 4 Year Rotation Rotate plant families to different areas of the garden space, not revisiting a particular area for 4 years.

Disease & Pest Prevention

Rotation with a kind of plant that is not a host for a particular pathogen prevents buildup of that pathogen or insect over the years. Rotate by plant family, not just different plants, since different members of the same family may be susceptible to the same disease.

Maintenance & Improvement of Soil Fertility Rotation prevents depletion of the same nutrients from the soil year after year. Inclusion of leguminous crops and green manures in the rotation help add nitrogen to the soil.

Weed Control Vary weed-susceptible crops with weed- suppressing crops. “One year of seeds = 10 years of weeds!”

Cost Savings Good rotation practices result in less need for fertilizers, insect control products. They’re expensive!

Greener Rotation results in fewer chemicals leaching into our environment.

Better & Healthier Harvests For a Better and Healthier You!

Develop a Crop Rotation Plan List veggies by plant family name. Divide garden into equal sections according to how many years the rotation is to last. Decide on a method to track veggie planting from one year to the next.