This is the five year crop rotation plan I try to follow myself. I say ‘try’ because there are always crops that don’t fit in so neatly and with those my main aim is to space the crops as far apart as reasonable to avoid disease and deficiencies.
I start with the potatoes, the soil having been given a good amount of manure or compost the previous year. This reduces the need for fertilizers for the potatoes.
The use of mustard as a green manure after the early potatoes hardens the cysts that contains the next generation of potato eelworm so preventing them from hatching easily. It should be noted that mustard is a brassica and this can cause problems on plots infected with clubroot.
Crop rotation is an essential practice for any vegetable gardener looking to boost yields, reduce pests, and improve soil health. But to gain the full benefits, you need to follow a systematic rotation schedule. A 5 year crop rotation plan is ideal for most home gardens.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about 5 year crop rotation charts including:
- What is crop rotation and how does it work
- The benefits of using a 5 year rotation cycle
- Crop rotation families – grouping plants wisely
- Designing and implementing a 5 year rotation schedule
- Sample charts and rotation sequences
- Tips for adapting crop rotation in small spaces
What is Crop Rotation?
Crop rotation refers to the practice of growing different types of crops in the same garden bed or space over subsequent growing seasons
It works by avoiding planting the same crop plant family in the same spot year after year There are a few key principles behind crop rotation
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Rotating plant families – Vegetables in the same family are prone to shared pests and diseases. Rotating families helps break disease cycles.
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Alternating heavy and light feeders – Heavy feeding crops deplete nutrients like nitrogen from the soil Follow them with light feeders to allow the soil to replenish
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Improving soil structure – Different crops have different root depths and structures. Rotating them improves overall soil health.
Why Use a 5 Year Crop Rotation?
Most gardeners recommend rotating crops on a 3-5 year cycle. A 5 year rotation offers some advantages over a 3 year plan:
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More diversity – A longer rotation sequence allows you to grow a wider variety of crops.
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Breaks tough disease cycles – A 5 year gap helps interrupt disease pathogens like tomato wilt.
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Better soil nutrient management – More time between heavy feeders avoids depleting nutrients.
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Promotes soil health – Greater diversity of plants keeps soil biology in balance.
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Confuses pests – Harder for pests with a 1-2 year life cycle to thrive when their favored crops move.
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Allows cover cropping – 5 years provides time to replenish soils by planting cover crops.
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Forces organization – Following a 5 year plan means you must be intentional in crop placement.
Crop Rotation Families
The key to an effective rotation sequence is to group related crops together into plant families. Some major families include:
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Alliums – Onions, leeks, garlic, shallots, chives
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Brassicas – Broccoli, cabbage, kale, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts
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Cucurbits – Cucumbers, melons, squash, pumpkins, zucchini
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Nightshades – Tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, potatoes
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Legumes – Peas, beans
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Leafy Greens – Lettuce, spinach, chard
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Root Crops – Carrots, beets, radishes, turnips
Aim to rotate each plant family to a new bed each year. Grow related crops together, then rotate the whole family as a group.
Designing a 5 Year Rotation Schedule
Here are some tips for developing a successful 5 year crop rotation plan:
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Focus rotation on key plant families – nightshades, brassicas, etc. Don’t worry about rotating minor individual crops.
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Alternate heavy feeding and light feeding crops within each family.
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Start rotation with soil building crops like legumes, then heavy feeders, then light feeders.
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Use a chart to map your rotation plan for each bed over 5 years. This makes the sequence easy to implement.
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Be flexible – Adapt your plan to fit your unique garden layout and crop preferences each year.
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Leave a spot for short season crops like lettuce and radish that don’t need rotation.
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Perennial crops like asparagus can be kept in side beds outside the main rotation.
Sample 5 Year Rotation Sequence
Here is an example 5 year rotation plan for a simple vegetable garden with 4 beds:
Year 1
- Bed A – Tomatoes (nightshades)
- Bed B – Onions (alliums)
- Bed C – Cucumbers (cucurbits)
- Bed D – Lettuce (anytime)
Year 2
- Bed A – Carrots (root crops)
- Bed B – Beans (legumes)
- Bed C – Cabbage (brassicas)
- Bed D – Lettuce
Year 3
- Bed A – Beets (root crops)
- Bed B – Potatoes (nightshades)
- Bed C – Onions (alliums)
- Bed D – Lettuce
Year 4
- Bed A – Cucumbers (cucurbits)
- Bed B – Spinach (leafy greens)
- Bed C – Peas (legumes)
- Bed D – Lettuce
Year 5 (and repeat)
- Bed A – Broccoli (brassicas)
- Bed B – Tomatoes (nightshades)
- Bed C – Carrots (root crops)
- Bed D – Lettuce
This hits on all the principles of crop rotation – rotating families, alternating heavy and light feeders, and replenishing the soil.
Adapting Crop Rotation in Small Gardens
Crop rotation is more challenging but still beneficial in small vegetable gardens. Here are some tips:
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Focus on rotating key crops like tomatoes, potatoes, cabbage, cucumbers, and squash.
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Plan 3-4 year rotations instead of 5 years to allow for more replanting.
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Divide beds into smaller sections to allow more rotation.
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Use containers to dedicate space to problem crops like nightshades or brassicas.
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Intercrop quick crops like lettuce and radishes to maximize space.
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Reduce plant spacing to squeeze more into limited space.
Following an organized 5 year crop rotation schedule is one of the best things you can do for your vegetable garden soil and plant health. While it takes more planning, the benefits of reduced pests, improved yields, and healthier plants makes it worth the effort. Adopt crop rotation practices this season, and your garden (and taste buds) will thank you!
Root Crops includes:
- Carrots
- Celeriac
- Celery
- Fennel
- Parsley
- Hamburg Parsley
From other families in the roots group:
NB: Turnips are actually a brassica but are not in the ground for long so unless clubroot is a massive problem can be safely grown out of the brassica group
The benefit of this four course rotation is the gap between each crop, especially the cabbages and potatoes, occupying the same ground is extended and the other crops in the rotation have more flexibility in position.
A lot will depend on your actual requirements when you set up and use a rotation plan. The important part of your crop rotation is to keep things apart for as long as possible. Keeping a plan of your plot and marking in what has been planted where will prove of great value over the years because you are unlikely to remember what was planted where after two years.
Lime Follows Potatoes, Then Legumes
Following the potatoes, in the winter the soil is limed heavily taking the ph up towards neutral. Although the brassicas like a high pH, meaning lots of lime, L D Hills contended it was more effective the second year after application. For this reason I follow with the legumes, the peas and beans. The legumes fix nitrogen and by composting the haulm but leaving the roots in the ground, you add a little to the nitrogen available.
Crop Rotation
FAQ
What is the best crop rotation schedule?
- Year 1: Plant heavy feeders (tomatoes, peppers, eggplants)
- Year 2: Grow moderate feeders (cabbage family)
- Year 3: Use soil builders (peas and beans)
What are the best combinations for crop rotation?
| Type of Vegetable | Friends |
|---|---|
| Cabbage | Beets, celery, chard, lettuce, spinach, onions |
| Carrots | Beans, lettuce, onions, peas, peppers, tomatoes |
| Corn | Climbing beans, cucumber, marjoram, peas, pumpkins, squash, sunflowers, zucchini |
| Onions | Cabbage, carrots, chard, lettuce, peppers, tomatoes |
What is crop rotation 5?
Crop rotation is the practice of alternating annual crops grown on a specific field in a planned pattern or sequence in successive crop years so that crops of the same species are not grown without interruption on the same field. Normally the crops are changed annually, but they can also be multiannual.
What is the best sequence of crop rotation?
Rotating the placement of plant families will keep the soil healthier, the plants healthier, and the diseases at bay (in theory). The standard rotation goes something like this: Salad (leaf) first, Tomatoes (fruit) next, carrots (roots) third and peas (legumes) after that. Why rotate crops?
What is crop rotation?
The concept of crop rotation is simple: It’s the practice of not planting the same crops in the same place in back-to-back years. By not planting the exact same vegetables in the exact same spot every year, you can avoid having pests and diseases continuously build up in the soil.
How do you do a 5 year crop rotation?
As with the three year crop rotations and five year crop rotations, we divide our plot up after allowing for the permanent beds of comfrey, asparagus and rhubarb etc. In this case into four beds or areas. We start the preceding winter by adding This is the five year crop rotation plan I try to follow myself.
What is a 5 year crop rotation plan?
A five year crop rotation plan is an excellent way to boost your garden’s productivity while minimizing pest and disease issues. Investing the time into mapping out a rotation schedule will pay off all season long with healthier plants and better harvests. Test it out this year, and let your soil and your taste buds reap the benefits!
What is a good crop rotation plan for a small garden?
The next growing season or following year, the next crop group in the rotation will replace the last. So, legumes, followed by leafy vegetables, then fruiting vegetables, and lastly root crops. Dividing your gardening space or garden bed into four quarters can somewhat simplify your crop rotation plan, especially in a small garden.
How do you use a crop rotation chart?
Some of these crops are light feeders making them great at the end of the crop rotation cycle. You can apply the crop rotation chart to garden rows, raised garden beds, or even in container gardening. Each crop group will get its own space for the growing season.
What are the benefits of a 5 year crop rotation?
Here are some of the benefits of a 5 year crop rotation: Prevents disease buildup – A 5 year gap helps break disease cycles for even persistent pathogens like late blight in tomatoes. Manages soil fertility – More time between heavy-feeding crops allows you to replenish nutrients.