Have you ever wondered what would happen if you ignored all of the crop rotation advice out there? The majority of advice on this subject suggests that my plants would immediately succumb to disease and leave me with record low yields! That sounds awful, but is it true? One crop rotation article I read concluded with the grower admitting she was simply too scared to ever try not rotating her crops, and it is this common fear that stops most of us from testing the rules and learning where the limits actually are. Well that fear stops here!
Crop rotation concerns can really flub up our planning process, so if we are going to bend over backwards each spring to accommodate a crop rotation regimen, I want to make sure those efforts are warranted. This season, I intentionally planted several crops in bed where the same crop had grown previously. Did my vegetables spontaneously combust? Lets find out.
Brassicas, also known as cruciferous vegetables, are a vital part of any vegetable garden. This plant family includes nutritious superstars like broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, kale and brussels sprouts. However, continuous planting of brassicas can quickly deplete soil nutrients and lead to a buildup of pests and diseases. This is where crop rotation comes in. By thoughtfully selecting which crops to grow after brassicas, we can maintain healthy soil, minimize pest issues and maximize harvests.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore the ideal vegetables herbs and cover crops to rotate with brassicas. We’ll also cover smart planting schedules and soil amendments to rejuvenate beds after harvesting nutrient-hungry brassica crops.
Why Rotate Crops After Brassicas?
Crop rotation is a planned system of growing different plant families in sequential seasons. It offers many benefits:
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Helps replenish nutrients that brassicas rapidly consume.
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Prevents disease buildup as brassicas are prone to clubroot, black rot and mildews
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Reduces cabbage maggots, aphids, moths and other brassica pests.
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Improves soil structure which can become compressed.
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Provides a disease break so brassicas can be grown again more successfully.
Rotating plant families with different nutritional needs maintains soil health. A minimum 3-4 year brassica rotation is ideal, with other crops grown in between to restore the soil.
The Best Vegetables to Follow Brassicas
After feeding heavy on soil nutrients, brassicas should be followed by lighter feeding crops. Smart choices include:
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Potatoes: Excellent nutritional match and rotation partner for brassicas.
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Carrots: Taproots help break up compacted soil.
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Beets: Taproots add organic matter when leaves are composted.
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Onions/Garlic: Enhance soil nutrients without heavy feeding needs.
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Tomatoes: Add diversity without brassica diseases.
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Peppers/Eggplants: Provide a break without rapid nutrient depletion.
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Legumes: Peas and beans fix nitrogen to feed subsequent brassicas.
Stick to plant families other than brassicas and alliums which share disease and pest risks.
Dynamic Cover Crops & Herbs to Rotate with Brassicas
Interplant or rotate brassicas with these soil-enhancing covers:
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Buckwheat: Rapid grower that adds organic matter. Also suppresses weeds.
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Clover: Fixes nitrogen and improves soil life. Plant after brassicas are harvested.
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Alfalfa: Has deep roots to accumulate minerals and fix nitrogen.
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Mustard: Biofumigant that releases toxins to kill soil pathogens as it decomposes.
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Comfrey: Dynamic accumulator that concentrates nutrients. Use leaves as mulch.
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Chamomile: Contains antifungal compounds that suppress soil diseases.
Herbal covers and green manures enhance soil fertility between brassica crops.
Ideal Soil Amendments After Harvesting Brassicas
It’s important to rebuild soil life and nutrition after growing heavy feeding brassicas. Useful amendments include:
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Compost: Boosts nutrients and beneficial microbes.
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Worm castings: Concentrated source of nutrients and microbial activity.
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Manure: Improves moisture retention and nutrient availability.
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Kelp meal: Provides micronutrients and plant growth promoters.
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Neem meal: Adds nitrogen and protects against soil pests.
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Gypsum: Improves drainage in compacted soils.
Reconditioning beds after brassicas ensures healthy future plantings. Test soil to identify any nutritional deficiencies.
A Model Crop Rotation Schedule for Brassicas
Here is an ideal 4-year rotation plan for brassicas and complementary crops:
Year 1: Brassicas interplanted with dill and chamomile.
Year 2: Legumes or potatoes with buckwheat cover crop.
Year 3: Tomatoes, peppers, carrots, garlic. Include comfrey.
Year 4: Lettuce, spinach, beets, chard with clover and alfalfa cover.
Year 5: Brassicas again after the bed has been rejuvenated!
This sequence balances light and heavy feeders, improves soil structure, and allows the ground to rest between brassica plantings.
Adapting Your Crop Rotation Schedule
When first implementing crop rotation, it takes time to achieve the perfect sequence. Here are some tips for transitioning:
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Start by alternating brassicas with light feeding root crops to condition the soil.
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Incorporate dynamic cover crops and amendments right away to boost fertility.
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If planting brassicas again sooner than 3-4 years, amend the soil well and choose disease-resistant varieties.
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Monitor closely for pest and disease issues. Promptly treat any problems.
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Keep planting records to help plan ideal crop sequences long-term.
With attentive soil care between brassica crops, you can still successfully grow these nutrient-dense vegetables.
Strategic crop rotation is key for growing vigorous brassicas. Follow these best practices:
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Rotate plant families to prevent pest and disease carryover.
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Alternate brassicas with light feeding crops that complement their needs.
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Include soil-enhancing cover crops and herbs in the rotation schedule.
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Amend beds after brassicas to replenish nutrients and boost soil life.
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Allow at least 3-4 years before repeating brassicas in the same spot.
Implementing a well-planned crop sequence will lead to healthier brassica crops and increasingly fertile soil. A diverse rotation also makes for a more interesting garden! Reap the rewards through smart crop rotation.
Planting Corn After Corn
No, you didnt! Yes we did. Corn is famous for being a heavy feeder that supposedly demands all the nitrogen it can get to be productive, leaving the soil depleted of nutrients and organic matter for the following season. Well, what happens if we plant corn in the same bed 2 years in a row? We took it one step further and planted corn in the same bed 3 years in a row, and this is what happened.
In 2021, we transplanted 60 plants of sweet corn into one of our standard sized field beds (bed F.5) on May 29. We harvested all of the cobs between August 6th and 20th for a total yield of 23.9 kg. The corn was removed from the bed and followed with a crop of fall spinach.
In 2022, we transplanted 60 plants of sweet corn into the same bed on May 27. The bed preparation and planting method was kept consistent by transplanting 2 week old seedlings through holes in landscape fabric just as we had done in 2021. Between August 10th and 22nd, we harvested 19.65kg of cobs.
In 2023, we started the season in the F.5 garden bed with an early crop of carrots, which were harvested on July 4th to make room for the corn. Again, 60 plants of sweet corn were planted in the same bed, but this time starting on July 4th, a month later than the previous seasons. The entire bed was harvested on September 16th with a total yield of 19.5 kg.
As a side note, we did also plant an early bed of sweet corn in 2023 on a different plot with the same standard bed size of 50 square feet. The total harvest from that bed was 20.3kg, which falls right in line with the harvests from our other corn beds in 2022 and 2023.
The harvest total that stands out among each of these crops is the larger 23.9 kg yield from 2021. I was curious about that higher number until I looked closer at my harvest log and noticed that in the first year, I had also harvested the smaller secondary cobs on the plants that were all underdeveloped. The weight of these non-edible cobs was included in the total and it shouldnt have been, but theres no way for me to go back in time and measure just the fully matured cobs. The following seasons, I just harvested the primary cobs from each plant and ignored the smaller secondary cobs when present. I think thats why the yields in 2022 and 2023 are more consistent.
Planting Broccoli After Broccoli
Crop rotation charts would tell you that you shouldnt plant any brassicas consecutively in the same space. The brassica family includes cauliflower, radishes, turnips, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, kohlrabi, and our crop in question, broccoli. Thats quite few crops to rule out as possible successors every time I plant a brassica.
To put this brassica crop rotation expectation to the test, I deliberately planted two crops of broccoli in the same bed in the same season. The first crop of 8 broccoli plants was transplanted into the bed on May 8th and harvested by July 7th with a total yield of 6.4 kg. The plants were removed and one week later on July 16, the same bed was replanted with another round of broccoli seedlings. This time I only planted 6 plants in the same space because the first planting was a bit too tight, and these second heads were harvested on October 12th with a total yield of 4.5 kg. The overall yield dropped a little and the average head size dropped from 0.8kg per head to 0.75kg per head.
The same Gypsy broccoli variety was grown in the first and second planting, but admittedly, my sample size was very small here and there were no other fall planted broccoli beds with which I could compare yields. Its possible that all fall harvested broccoli would yield a little lower because brassicas are too happy being transplanted in the heat of summer? Its also possible that these numbers are showing us a decline in production because of this consecutive cropping. Whats clear though is that the secondary planting of broccoli plants were healthy and we still had a good second crop oto harvest.
7 Tips to Grow Great Cabbage, Cauliflower, Broccoli, and More!
FAQ
What is a good crop to rotate with broccoli?
- Shallow roots. Broccoli/ Brussels sprouts/ Cabbage/ Cauliflower/ Celery/ Chinese cabbage/ …
- Moderate depth roots. Beans/ Beets/ …
- Deep roots. Artichokes/ Asparagus/
Can you plant brassicas in the same plot every year?
Tip: To avoid disease and pest problems, don’t plant brassicas in the same plot for more than two years in a row.
In what order should I plant my vegetable garden?
As a general rule, put tall veggies toward the back of the bed, mid-sized ones in the middle, and smaller plants in the front or as a border. Consider adding pollinator plants to attract beneficial insects that can not only help you get a better harvest, but will also prey on garden pests.
What crop to rotate with cabbage?
In addition to potatoes, other nightshade plants (Solanaceae) such as eggplants, tomatoes and peppers are also good companions for cabbage plants.May 7, 2024
What should I plant after heavy feeding brassicas?
Follow a 3-4 year rotation schedule and interplant with disease suppressive cover crops to prevent disease and pest carryover while restoring nutrition. The best vegetables to plant after heavy feeding brassicas are lighter feeding root crops and fruiting crops from different plant families. Smart choices include:
What can I grow with brassicas?
Additionally, legumes provide a nutrient-rich environment for the next crop. Root vegetables, like carrots and beets, also make great companions for brassicas. They benefit from the nutrient-rich conditions created by the previous crop and help break up the soil.
Can you plant Rosemary near brassicas?
Rosemary – Rosemary is a great option for planting near brassicas and members of the cabbage family. It has a strong scent that can confuse pests, like cabbage white butterflies, and carrot flies. Plant it fairly close to the brassicas and there’s a good chance the pests will land on the rosemary instead!
How do you care for a brassica plant?
Initially alternate brassicas with lighter feeding crops like root vegetables that help condition soil. Incorporate cover crops and soil amendments sooner than later. If you must plant brassicas again before 3-4 years have passed, amend soil first and select disease-resistant varieties.
What vegetables go well with brassicas?
Root vegetables, like carrots and beets, also make great companions for brassicas. They benefit from the nutrient-rich conditions created by the previous crop and help break up the soil. Another option is to plant solanaceous vegetables, including tomatoes and peppers, after brassicas.
What legumes are good for brassicas?
Legumes, such as beans and peas, are excellent choices to follow brassicas. These nitrogen-fixing plants help replenish the soil by converting atmospheric nitrogen into a form that other plants can use. Additionally, legumes provide a nutrient-rich environment for the next crop.