Crop Rotation

Crop Rotation Create a more efficient and resilient garden by utilizing crop rotation techniques. January is a great time to start this planning! What is Crop Rotation?  It is the practice of changing the location of plant families each season. What are some of the Benefits?  Reduce need for soil amendments  Limit pests and diseases How do you implement it?  Make a list of all the crops you grow and group them into their families (list of common families to the right).  Draw a diagram of your garden and note what families have been grown where over the previous seasons.  Depending on your space and how complex you want your rotations, plan to change vegetable locations annually. Ideally, you would not plant a crop family in the same spot for 3-4 years.

Common Veggie Families:  Nightshades (tomatoes, peppers, eggplant)  Alliums (garlic, onions)  Brassicas (kale, cabbage, broccoli)  Cucurbits (squash, cucumbers, melons)  Carrot (carrots, parsley, celery)  Legumes (peas, beans) Helpful Resources:  Encyclopedia Botanica Podcast: “Crop Rotation”  WSU Extension: “Using Crop Rotation in Home Vegetable Gardens”  Seattle Urban Farm Co. Blog: “Crop planning: a year in my home garden”  WSU Extension Fact Sheet: “Cover crops for home gardens west of the cascades” Do you have a vegetable garden you want to show off? If you want your garden featured in the Food Action Team’s Edible Garden tours, please fill out our survey! You can find the survey at: https://www.surveymonkey.co An example garden diagram with a m/r/7FTPKW9 four-year crop rotation. From WSU extension extension.wsu.edu/snohomish/croprotation/ Food Action Team -- Edible Garden Group CorvallisFoodAction@gmail.com fat-garden-group@googlegroups.com