Do you rotate?

[bower]

I had to say no, I grow in containers.
But in truth I just cycled my container soil outdoors and is now garlic beds. That is so I can do some basic sanitation on the containers this winter, and reduce the pest population in the greenhouse.

I like Travis' concept, of culling the ones that can't take it in the ol' tomato patch.

[PaulF]

My tomatoes get rotated "sort of". Because of space limitations about one quarter of the garden always has tomatoes. I move the tomato patch back and forth every year.

[clkeiper]

I rotate, one, because I can and have the space, but two, so I don't deplete the soil continually in the same spot and three, to hopefully confuse some of the pests emerging from the soil. My FIL kept his tomatoes in the same spot for years in our garden, but I rotate as much as I can...

[crazyoldgooseman]

I rotate to keep from depleting the soil of nutrients specific to each type of plant and to incorporate nitrogen fixers such as beans back into the soil and for disease and pests.

[Gardeneer]

Originally Posted by crazyoldgooseman

I rotate to keep from depleting the soil of nutrients specific to each type of plant and to incorporate nitrogen fixers such as beans back into the soil ....

That is one of the reasons that commercial farmers do crop rotation.
If you are a backyard gardener and do not have soil borne disease problem and provide the nutrients that tomatoes need, rotation serves no purpose. JMO

[Fred Hempel]

I rotate, mostly because of disease. Right now I am stuck with 5-6 years between tomatoes on any one spot, unless I can identify a "probiotic" additive to the soil that limits disease organisms via competition. I am trying out these types of products.

[Ed of Somis]

I usually re-use my potting mix from the previous year in my containers. Is that the epidemy of NOT rotating crops??? Of course, I do not know what the hell I am doing!

[Gardeneer]

Originally Posted by Ed of Somis

I usually re-use my potting mix from the previous year in my containers. Is that the epidemy of NOT rotating crops??? Of course, I do not know what the hell I am doing!

Rotation applies to in-ground growing, me thinks.
I dump all my pots on a tarp, clean out the roots, freshen up a bit, keep it in barrels over the winter and re use the next season.
Am I cross contaminating ? .

[AZGardener]

I don't rotate because I only have 5 raised beds and they all get tomatoes every year I do add nutrients to the soil though and give it a good mix before I plant BER is the only thing that has plagued my garden, no diseases here (knock on wood!).

[loulac]

The variety of opinions proves again that tomatoes can withstand lots of cultural techniques while making the gardener happy.

Personally if I try to rotate it’s to make room for other vegetables that really need rotation, so tomatoes have to go elsewhere.

I’m quite impressed by Fred Hempel (see post 21) “who is stuck with 5-6 years between tomatoes on any one spot”; He either grows few plants, or, more likely, is lucky enough to have a big garden/field.

I remember I found tomato roots 3 feet deep when I dug a deep hole in my garden to plant a tree. It can explain why the soil is not seriously depleted of nutrients at the end of the year, the amount taken from a cubic foot of soil isn’t that big.

[Misfit]

I don't currently rotate, but may in the future.

I've read good things about using multiple species cover crops in the fall, preparing for Sping. Vetch, rye, pea, radish, and clovers. I thought it would aid in the lack of rotation, and actually be a rotation in itself so to speak. I gave it a try a little to late, and the vetch and rye never took off. I was a little disappointed, was looking forward to checking out the biomass. So I covered the plot back up with leaf mulch, and will try again next year.

-Jimmy

[jmsieglaff]

Jimmy, just curious to when you sowed your cover that didn't have time to take off? (For potential future planning.)

[Growing West]

I had good luck about fifteen years ago with a cover crop of black medic. The only real weeds I had to deal with in the couple of years I tried it was the black medic in adjacent lawn areas. My veggie production was good. I took out strips to plant in and left the clover growing in between the rows. A couple of mowings held it at bay during the growing season. The next couple of places I've lived were too small in yard space to provide for that ample of row spacing.

I would rotate more if I had more unshaded southern exposure locations and if the breezy and low humidity climate I reside in didn't seem to keep diseases at bay.

[Gardeneer]

I voted : No, I do not have soil disease issues.

But also , I don't have the luxury ( space wise ) to rotate.

Gardeneer

[Misfit]

jm, I planted everything except the rye and vetch on 9/21. Rye and vetch maybe 10 days after? I knew it was late getting in the ground, but thought I had nothing to lose.

From what I've read on the Maryland ag extension. You should sow a minimum of 6-8 weeks before your first frost. I was playing with 4-6 weeks, and had to cover twice for below freezing temps. Late plantout and the changing sunlight hitting my garden (it get's a lot of shade now) were the culprits. I would have started earlier, but didn't want anything competing with my tomatoes.

Lesson learned. Next year, late August, or early September should do the trick.

-Jimmy