Crop rotation in the vegetable garden | table and calendar

When planning a vegetable garden, it is necessary to adhere to a “suitable” crop rotation, because vegetable plants have different properties, which mainly relate to the soil. Some species are heavy feeders and deplete the soil so that, for example, subsequent heavy-feeding vegetable plants do not have enough nutrients in the soil. Other vegetables attract disease and would increase the risk of spread if the soil were not given time to regenerate on subsequent sowing of the same crop. Some vegetables do not get along well when planted side by side. They may compete for the nutrients in the soil or attract pests that would kill neighboring plants.

annual planning

So that the vegetable garden offers a lot of variety, it should be divided into several beds. The consumption category to which the plants belong must be taken into account. The beds can be next to each other if attention is paid to the crop rotation. This means that the beds must be laid out in such a way that suitable crop rotations always connect to the bed in front of them. The order of the crop rotations is always the same, although in the first year the beginning can be chosen freely.

First planting/sowing

In principle, the basis for optimal crop rotation is that intensive nutrient fertilization is carried out before planting/sowing heavy feeders. Green manure is suitable for this purpose as soil preparation. In this way, the soil has the nutrient content at the time of planting/sowing that heavy consumers need.

followers and neighbors

After heavy feeders, medium feeders should be planted/sown. After the harvest of heavy feeders, the soil is stressed and significantly poorer in nutrients, so that it is not suitable for replanting/sowing heavy feeders. Medium feeders do well in the soil and thrive.

Medium feeders should be planted/sown next to heavy feeders in the neighboring bed. This is necessary so that a mixed culture prevents the spread of diseases and keeps the soil arable for many years. Planting/sowing medium feeders next to heavy feeders ensures no competition for supply, so they don’t get in each other’s way.

Bed and plant closure

Weakly consuming plants complete the bed and crop rotation planning. They can be planted/sown in succession behind the middle eaters and/or thrive next to them in the next bed. Just as medium consumers relate to heavy consumers, weak consumers do not compete with medium consumers. Since light feeders have minimal nutrient requirements, they can cope well with previously severely depleted soil without becoming nutrient deficient.

Crop rotation calendar

The following is an example of a vegetable garden divided into four beds:

Various eating vegetables

heavy feeder

• Aubergine
• strawberry plants
• cucumber
• potato
• cabbage
• pumpkin
• beets
• Beetroot
• sunflower plants
• leaf spinach

medium eater

• soft fruit varieties
• beans
• pea
• fennel
• Kohlrabi
• pumpkins
• Mangold
• Melon
• Paprika
• leeks
• radish
• radish
• Saddlery
• salsify
• Tomato
• Zucchini
• onion plants

weak feeder

• Garden herbs such as parsley and cress
• Salads
• turnip
• sugar root

Possible crop rotations

cabbage varieties

• Endiviensalat
• peas
• snake cucumber
• potato
• pumpkins
• beets
• leeks
• leaf spinach
• onion plants

beans

• strawberry plants
• potato
• Mangold
• leeks
• Beetroot
• leaf spinach

onion plants

• Green, rose, cauliflower and white cabbage
• snake cucumber
• Kohlrabi
• pumpkins
• Mangold
• radish
• Beetroot

lettuce

• Brussels sprouts, green sprouts, white sprouts and cauliflowers
• beets
• leeks
• radish
• leaf spinach

Edible and garden peas

• Brussels sprouts, green sprouts, white sprouts and cauliflowers
• Kohlrabi
• beets
• leeks
• radish

Cucumbers and Gourds

• Brussels sprouts, green sprouts, white sprouts and cauliflowers
• Kohlrabi
• leeks
• radish

potato

• Cauliflower, kale, white and Brussels sprouts
• beans
• Kohlrabi

Kohlrabi and Brussels sprouts

• Endiviensalat
• peas
• strawberry plants
• snake cucumber
• potato
• pumpkins
• beets
• leeks
• lettuce
• Saddlery
• leaf spinach
• onion plants

carrots/beets

• Edible/garden peas
• Cauliflower, kale, white and Brussels sprouts
• leeks
• radish
• onion plants

leeks

• cauliflower, kale and white cabbage
• beans
• kohlrabi
• Mangold
• Saddlery
• radish
• Beetroot

Radishes / Radishes

• beans
• peas
• strawberry plants
• thick bean
• Kale
• cucumber
• potato
• pumpkins
• leeks
• Saddlery
• leaf spinach
• onion plants

Beetroot and chard

• beans
• thick bean
• leeks
• Saddlery
• Sweet corn

Selleriegemüse

• Cauliflower, kale and Brussels sprouts
• Kohlrabi
• leeks
• radish

leaf spinach

• strawberry plants
• leeks

calendar

Frühbeet

For the cold frame, the vegetable plants are suitable as a pre-culture, which can be sown early in the year or at the end of the previous year. Ideally, the year can begin with heavy consumers. These include, for example, the highly consuming spinach and kohlrabi. The cultivation of vegetables that have a long cultivation period, such as cabbage and cucumbers, is particularly suitable.

Sommerbeet

Anyone who has already harvested the previous crop in the summer and/or would like to grow vegetables for the autumn and winter will find a large selection of vegetable types that can be adapted to the previously existing crop rotation according to the feeder category. For example, kale (heavy feeder) can be sown in July and harvested until December. Broccoli and cauliflower should be sown in June, as should aubergines (heavy feeders) if they are to be harvested in October/November.

autumn bed

Autumn is the end of the season for most vegetables. However, special autumn and winter cultures allow for bed planting/sowing all year round. For example, rhubarb, savoy cabbage, white cabbage and string beans are suitable for the autumn bed.