Warmer days bring more anticipation to planting your vegetable garden. The warm sun makes many gardeners go out to the garden to look around and clean up. Many garden plans are already under way and may have already started to head out to the local garden center. In all of the excitement are you remembering to rotate your crops every year? If you have a small or a large garden it is important to rotate your plants.
“Crop rotation is the simple practice of growing plants in a different place in your garden in a logical sequence in each successive growing season,” according to All-Seasons Garden Guide. Rotating your crops will help control insects and diseases. It will also help improve your soil.
Controlling insects is on everyone’s mind when taking care of a garden. Rotating your crops will help so the insects do not establish themselves on your plants. Some bugs can overwinter near their favorite plant and come back in the spring. It will be harder for the bugs to find a moving target.
Diseases can also overwinter in your garden. Spores and bacteria are prime examples. Moving the crops can help as long as they are not reinfected by the blowing or splashing of your garden soil. Spring storms can do this so the farther away the better.
Soil nutrients can be drained out of your soil by certain vegetables you may grow. Cucumbers, corn and tomatoes are considered heavy feeders. These will require lots of nitrogen to grow well. Light feeders like carrots, potatoes and onions will not take up as much of the soil nutrients.
Can you remember where you planted everything last year? If you can, start the crop rotation this year. If not, this year would be the year to draw a map of where the plants are going. Moving your plants around is a great way to help the soil and fight the diseases and insects that could hurt your garden. It is easy to do and you will help your harvest at the same time.
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