crop rotation

Eco Garden Systems June 2017 Eco Garden Systems As I pull my summer crops to prepare for fall crops I am reminded about the importance of crop rotation. This usually is top priority in the spring when deciding if you should put a tomato plant where there was a tomato plant last year? Crop Rotation is an important part of gardening that will ensure success year after year in the same garden. The whole concept of rotating your plants is to help fight disease and nutrient deficiencies that can occur if you plant the same vegetable families in the same space. Understanding how to do this in a raised bed can be complicated due to the smaller area of gardening. There is actually some conflicting information about this because not every garden is the same and not every gardener gardens the same. After many years of gardening in an elevated self-watering garden this is my thoughts on rotating crops… I don’t really do it. I have planted tomatoes in the same spot for years and never had a real issue with the growth or with disease. I like to plant the taller vegetable plants to the North so that the smaller plants have all day sun. Because of this I usually end up putting tomatoes in the same spot. I do dig out some of the soil and replace with new soil and compost before re-planting for the next season. With raised beds this is an easy task. I had one tomato plant with hornworms and a lot of larvae in the soil. I was able to dig out all of them and it took care of the problem. I have planted beans in the same spot as well and have had no issues with production. Beans have always been…