Is Rotating Crops Necessary for the Vegetable Garden?

Is crop rotation necessary for a home vegetable garden? Do organic vegetable crops need to be rotated to be successful? In this video I will answer the question I get most often.. "Do I need to rotate my garden crops?
I'll also show you the traditional way of crop rotation and a newer easier way to rotate your vegetable crops.

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Hey Guys, I’m Brian from Next Level Gardening
Welcome to our online community! A place to be educated, inspired and hopefully entertained at the same time! A place where you can learn to grow your own food and become a better organic gardener. At the same time, a place to grow the beauty around you and stretch that imagination (that sometimes lies dormant, deep inside) through gardening.

I’m so glad you’re here!

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[MichaelRei]

My garden is too small to do rotation. I just add fresh composted soil every year.

[sharonknorr]

When I first started, I rotated beds religiously - had a dozen 4x20 raised beds, all in full sun. Not sure if it was really necessary. Now I have much smaller beds, not all in full sun, and am much pickier about what I grow. I also do a lot of interplanting/companion planting with a mix of vegetables, flowers and herbs in almost every bed, so figuring out any kind of rotation would make my head hurt. I think healthy soil and a diverse garden area are the keys to plant health. I do usually plant my garlic in the fall down the center of many of the beds, which is my way of initiating some kind of pest control from the get go and then go from there.

[robertrenekerjr]

I’ve been gardening in my current home for 25 years and have never rotated my crops. Rarely have disease issues, thankfully. But my garden bed is 10x12 feet and I also have one that is 3 feet wide and the length of my house. I’ve found that proper soil amendments and mulching seem to take the need out of rotation.

[pjsviking]

Once again Brian, GREAT overview of growing our own food sustainably in healthy soil and having fun and the great satisfaction of watching the processes at the same time. It's all about giving back to the land isn't it? Good to see you enjoying your summer - looks like you all had a great time in Hawaii!! Thanks again for everything on both channels - take care to all 🇨🇦

[shirleyemerson]

I ordered your book, and I will get it Wednesday. Can't wait to study it. God bless.

[reibersue]

I'm glad someone says it the way it works in reality and not by the text book. I have a small enclosed garden. To try to rotate a plant away from where it didn't do well last year is like moving it from the kitchen to the dining room.
What works best for me is learning what to plant and when. Brassicas have to be fall because cabbage moths decimate a spring planting. I do a lot of bug surveillence and when the Mexican bean beetle overwhelms the string beans, i cut them down and toss the bush towards the chickens who love to peck those bright yellow larvae off the bush. I dont try to plant everything at once, and can get in succession planting if one type gets overwhelmed. Learn to work around what nature throws at you. If you try to be the perfect gardener you will have more failures than successes.

[elizabethblane]

My tomato beds got REALLY BAD root know nematodes when I grew them in the same spot for several years. I learned my lesson the hard way.

[debbiep]

I'm really trying to be better about improving my soil health. I get confused about using compost. Some people mix it in as an amendment, others put it on top as mulch. It doesn't seem to be a very good mulch as it dries out about as quickly as the bare soil. I'll be watching your "putting beds to bed" video next. Thanks for the outstanding content you provide to us.

[hillbillyshadetreefarm]

Because you are a Walter Anderson nursery person, I've put my plant or mystery bugs in a zipper plastic bag and took it into their help desk. I had a plant that was struggling and when I pulled it, I saw the "nubs/knots" on the roots. I thought it was root knot nematodes but took it to WA to confirm. Yep...they helped me confirm what I thought. I opted to amend the bed and let it rest for a growing season. I'm in the processing of rotating crops in this bed. Keeping my fingers crossed for future growing in this bed.

[titan]

...I failed my tomatoes this year I planted them in my former garlic beds without adding new soil...yellow and droopy...smallest yield in the last ten years. Thanks for the content always good to see the successes.

[alysonbaker]

I have a rectangular garden which lent itself to a four year rotation. I used to have a big problem with blight in my tomatoes so always rotated, just barely keeping ahead of the blight. Covid hit, Youtube came into my life along with Brian. I sucked in Brian’s shows on raised beds and tomato frames. I built raised beds and tomato frames. My blight problem disappeared. Not wanting to trust growing in the same area, I continued to rotate the tomatoes, yes, rotating my frames. Big job. With the beds, I started experimenting with interplanting. I’ve had good results and not so good result with the interplanting. Every year, I experiment and every year, some plants do well and others not so well. I’m sure weather has a hand in the successes. Next year, I’m going to keep the tomatoes where they are and see how it goes. I haven’t had a good squash season in three years. Scratching my head on that one, Ha, ha. Thank you Brian for your insights to gardening. I have your book, having harvested great information. Great show!! Thank you.

[fraptor]

I have a small garden, but I always move things around each year. Bed 1 has beets, spinach & peas. Bed 2 has Cherry tomatoes, peppers & I generally experiment with the 3rd option. Each year I switch beds & positions in each bed.
I do use grass clippings as mulch, and I always put anything i don't use from the garden (excess beet leaves, peelings, pea plant leaves) back on top as mulch. Plus I do fresh compost in the spring.
For next year's project I hope to add a rain barrel & switch to drip irrigation.

[ajrichardson]

I haven't been diligent in what and where I've been planting. Paying attention now to the different veggie families and reviewing some of your older vlogs, I did run across your canning tomatoes 101 with Alan. What a hoot! Thank you for sharing with us your education and diligence and bloopers! 😂😂😂

[KimbasCorner]

Great subject! I dutifully planned and rotated my crops for 2 years. After which I too gave that up and just topped with homegrown compost and mulch. Thank you for this video! I really like your book. I have been using companion planting for years. Have had other books but yours is by far the best because you break it all down, including crop rotation and other good gardening info. Plus I ordered the kindle version which allows me to search! Thanks again Brian, really enjoy your channels.

[mkashay]

Yeah, I agree with everything you said here. Maybe for megafarms, it is a good idea. For most homes with a small area to garden on, it is not a desirable or practical solution. I do even question if it is needed at all. I lived on an orange grove with hundred year old trees that produced bountiful harvests. That alone, seems to suggest that under most circumstances, it is not needed.

[toniearnest]

Wow !!! That was really some good info !!! Thanks Brian !!!😃 But now I have to remember all that info ...good thing I have your book !!! Just wanted to ask you a question ... what compost do you recommend ?...(I live in an apartment and I grow in containers and a small trug raised bed )🥰 Thanks again Love your videos !!!❤

[debrakrause]

I have a small garden with 3, 8 foot raised beds that are in prime locations. 3 other smaller beds in partial shade in the afternoon. I've been rotating crops going on 3 years. Since I companion plant in these beds, its hard to keep up with rotating potatoes, peas, beans, onions, and cucumbers. I also plant in buckets, tomatoes and cucumbers. I'll be figuring things out for next years garden. Thank you for all of your help! I love this channel and always look forward to your posts!

[LeslieKaster-jh]

I have a couple large areas of my garden I'll have to amend and let rest next year. I will have to consciously rotate things next year though, and next year will probably be a major bean year. Basically a mostly restorative year, it's time.

[kat]

I have 6 raised beds & then an enclosure for the berries & sweet corn. That does NOT get rotated. i add compost & amend soil & mulch. keep critters out. lol. I have several trellises in several beds. Might switch out which beds has what planted. Moved melons this year since i had vine borers in that bed last year. Getting harvest this year.

[AngelaM-ye]

Hello, that was great information. Didn't know some of the things as i am new to gardening so i really liked this video! Have a wonderful day.