Crop Rotation Made Simple

Crop rotation means moving plant families around the garden instead of growing the same crops in the same bed each year. It interrupts pest and disease cycles and helps balance soil nutrients.

Group crops by family

A practical four-group system:

1. Legumes — peas, beans, clover. These fix nitrogen.
2. Brassicas — cabbage, broccoli, kale, radish. Heavy feeders.
3. Roots and onions — carrots, parsnips, beetroot, onions, garlic.
4. Potatoes and fruiting crops — tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, courgettes.

Rotate the groups in sequence each year so each bed sees a different family.

Why it works

Soil-borne diseases such as clubroot build up when brassicas follow brassicas. Potato cyst nematodes multiply in repeated potato beds. Legumes leave nitrogen for the following leafy crop. Rotation is not a silver bullet, but it is one of the cheapest long-term investments in garden health.

Keep records

A simple notebook or spreadsheet is enough. Sketch your beds each year and note what grew where. Over time, patterns emerge and planning becomes quick.

Adapt for small gardens

If space is tight, rotate within beds or use containers with fresh compost. Even a two-year alternation between heavy feeders and light feeders is better than none. The principle matters more than rigid rules.