As you plan the layout of your vegetable garden, you may want to incorporate "crop rotation".
The goal with crop rotation is to fool the pests and diseases that may have learned where their favorite food (your crops) is.
My method of crop rotation also takes into account the fertility needs of the soil.
The method is to rotate between three types of crops. Legumes, heavy feeders, and light feeders.
Legumes (peas and beans) add nitrogen to the soil. (Just don’t pull up the roots after the plants have died.) They create a perfect planting area for the heavy feeders.
In the next season, grow heavy feeders. They will deplete nutrients out of the soil.
After heavy feeders are done, plant light feeders in the area in the next season.
After the light feeders’ season, plant your legumes.
So the rotation is Legumes to Heavy Feeders to Light Feeders and back around again and again.
Light and heavy feeders are shown on this page. It also shows medium feeders. These can be tucked into the light and heavy feeding areas, just rotate them around the areas.
Good idea! One time I planted a tomato after having legumes in that spot and sheesh did that plant have a lot of leaves. ... I'm learning. :)
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