Rotating crops in the real world of a small garden...

Chervena_chuska · August 4, 2011

This year is just one thing after another for me. Several possible diseases I could have say don't grow solenaceous plants for 2 years (or longer) in the same soil. (Bacterial wilt, fusarium, etc.)

Last year I got an unmistakable bacterial stem rot on my broccoli and the prescription of don't grow kohl crops for 2 years! So I took over a flower bed in the front yard that gets partial shade for my kohl crops and luckily that worked out. But I still have a year to wait before planting in the backyard again.

My yard is all of 30 feet wide and 30 feet wide. I have my 3 beds getting full sun and 2 new small beds outside our yard by the driveway but not growing tomatoes in 2/3 of my beds means I could plant all of 4 tomatoes.

I definitely will be planting a couple hybrids as well next year after 5 years of heirlooms only. These diseases are too much on the nerves.

What do you all do who don't have the space to really rotate properly? How do you manage?

August 4, 2011	#1
Chervena_chuska Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Milwaukee, WI Posts: 15	Rotating crops in the real world of a small garden... This year is just one thing after another for me. Several possible diseases I could have say don't grow solenaceous plants for 2 years (or longer) in the same soil. (Bacterial wilt, fusarium, etc.) Last year I got an unmistakable bacterial stem rot on my broccoli and the prescription of don't grow kohl crops for 2 years! So I took over a flower bed in the front yard that gets partial shade for my kohl crops and luckily that worked out. But I still have a year to wait before planting in the backyard again. My yard is all of 30 feet wide and 30 feet wide. I have my 3 beds getting full sun and 2 new small beds outside our yard by the driveway but not growing tomatoes in 2/3 of my beds means I could plant all of 4 tomatoes. I definitely will be planting a couple hybrids as well next year after 5 years of heirlooms only. These diseases are too much on the nerves. What do you all do who don't have the space to really rotate properly? How do you manage?