Feeding the Soil: Crop Rotation

Nutrient rich soil grows nutrient rich food.  Keeping this in mind, remember to rotate crops.  In planning my gardens, I try to remember to NOT plant things in the same place every year.  Doing so would deplete the soil of the nutrients that crop needs to thrive.  By rotating the types of plants I plant, I can rebuild the soil’s nutrients.  Beans do well if planted after peas.  Corn and beans replace the nutrients removed from the soil by my garlic crop.

Remember, more than one crop can be planted in a bed in a single growing season.  I will plant bush beans in my pea beds once I have harvested all the peas.  Short growing crops, like beans, can be seeded after garlic is harvest.  Once frost ends their growing season, next year’s garlic crop can be planted to overwinter in the same spot I planted the garlic last fall.

I really enjoyed the book “Square Foot Gardening” by Mel Bartholomew.  I can’t apply his square foot philosophy easily to my oddly shaped world, but the book was full of good information about many things, including crop rotation.  I bought my father the newest edition of the book, but I honestly like the older one better.  I was able to buy it cheaply because it was used and the information is just as useful.  I especially appreciate the spacing guidelines, vertical growing tips, and soil preparation guides.  Along with “Carrots Love Tomatoes”, it is one of my favorite gardening books.

Bartholomew reminds the reader throughout the book to keep crop rotation in mind when planning a garden.  I tend to overlook it if I find a good place for something, especially lettuce.

Remember, if you are just getting started, don’t let yourself be overwhelmed.  Gardening is as much about process as product.  Incorporate new ideas as they arise and enjoy the process.  The food will continue to improve as the process improves and the rewards will be counted in increments beyond yield.

Feed the soil.  Feed the family.  Feed the soul.