Rotation of Vegetable Crops
As discussed previously in this section, crop rotation can be an excellent natural way to reduce the number of plant pests and diseases. To create your own crop rotation system, you will need a minimum of four beds for growing plants in the following groups:
| Legumes & Pod Crops Broad beans Dolichos beans French beans Okra Peas Runner beans |
Alliums Bulb onions Garlic Leeks Shallots Spring onions Welsh onions |
| Brassicas Brussels sprouts Cabbages Calabrese Cauliflowers Kales Kohl rabi Oriental mustards Purple sprouting broccoli Radishes Swedes Turnips |
Solanaceous, Root & Tuberous Crops Aubergines Beetroot Carrots Celeriac Celery Cocoyams Parsnips Potatoes Sweet peppers Sweet potatoes Tomatoes |
These groups should be grown in separate beds, moving them on to an adjacent bed the following year. In this way, each group will return to its original section every four years. Rotation prevents pests and diseases such as nematodes from becoming established in the soil, as regularly changing the planting location can break or limit the pest cycles.