Crop rotation means not growing the same family of plants in the same spot year after year. The reasoning is straightforward: closely related crops tend to draw on similar nutrients and attract the same pests and diseases, so moving them around the garden spreads that demand and interrupts problems that build up in one place.

Grouping by plant family

Rotation is organised by family, not by individual vegetable. A handful of groups covers most home-garden crops.

  • Legumes: peas and beans.
  • Brassicas: cabbage, kale, broccoli, radish, and relatives.
  • Alliums: onions, leeks, garlic.
  • Solanaceae: potatoes, tomatoes, peppers.
  • Roots and others: carrots, beetroot, and the rest.

Planning the sequence

A common approach moves each group on to a different bed the following season, returning to the starting bed only after several years. One widely described ordering places legumes ahead of leafy brassicas, on the basis that beans and peas leave the soil in good condition for the hungry crops that follow.

Year 1 Bed A: Legumes Bed B: Brassicas Bed C: Roots Bed D: Potatoes Year 2 Bed A: Brassicas Bed B: Roots Bed C: Potatoes Bed D: Legumes Year 3 Bed A: Roots Bed B: Potatoes Bed C: Legumes Bed D: Brassicas Year 4 Bed A: Potatoes Bed B: Legumes Bed C: Brassicas Bed D: Roots

Adapting it to only a few beds

Most small gardens do not have four neat beds, and that is fine. The principle still holds with two or three beds, or even a set of large containers, as long as a family is not returned to the same soil immediately. Keeping a short written record of what grew where is the most reliable way to manage this, since memory rarely survives a winter.

If only one bed is available, simply move each family to a different end or section, and replace some of the growing medium for the heaviest feeders rather than reusing it unchanged.

Tracking it over time

Rotation is one of those practices whose benefit is cumulative and easy to undo by losing track. A simple grid noting the bed, the family, and the year keeps the sequence honest and makes next season's plan a five-minute job rather than a guess.

The German Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL) publishes general information on agriculture and gardening. The related notes below cover beds and containers.

RelatedLaying out raised beds on a small plot RelatedContainer growing on balconies and terraces