Crop Rotation Planning

02What you'll need

• At least 3–4 garden beds or defined zones
• A record of what was planted where each season
• A basic grouping of your crops by plant family (nightshades, brassicas, legumes, alliums, etc.)

03Method

• 1. Group your crops by plant family — this matters more than by vegetable type alone.
• 2. Divide your growing space into at least 3–4 beds or zones.
• 3. Assign one plant family group per bed each season.
• 4. Each following season, move each family group to the next bed in the sequence.
• 5. Keep a simple written record — it's easy to forget the exact rotation after a year or two.

04Troubleshooting

• Not enough beds for a full rotation — even a partial rotation (avoiding the same family in the same spot two years running) is better than none.
• Forgot what was planted where — keep a simple written log each season; it's the single biggest practical failure point.
• Perennials disrupting the rotation — plan permanent beds for perennial crops (asparagus, fruit trees, etc.) separately from the annual rotation.
• Persistent soil-borne disease despite rotation — some pathogens persist for many years; a 3–4 year rotation reduces but doesn't eliminate risk for the worst offenders like clubroot.

05Timing & maintenance