Crop rotation at their summer cottage: basic rules

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

Soil depletion is one of the main factors reducing crop yields. Most often, owners of small gardens have to deal with such a problem. To avoid low fruiting of vegetables, many experienced farmers resort to such a method in summer cottages as crop rotation. The successful implementation of this principle requires a thoughtful approach and organization, which involves the development of some methods of planting plants and drawing up a plan. Information about this will be discussed in our article.

Need for crop rotation

Growing the same type of plants in a permanent place entails a number of negative consequences. This includes:

• deterioration of the structure of the fertile soil layer;
• accumulation of toxic substances released from the root system of plants;
• wind erosion;
• weed propagation;
• accumulation of pathogens and insect pests;

Because the roots of individual plants reach different depths while absorbing the right amount of nutrients, soil depletion occurs unevenly. By planting the same vegetables in the same place for several years in a row, the gardener impoverishes a certain layer of the earth and, over time, significantly reduces the yield of fruits. For this reason, there is a need for crop rotation of vegetable crops in the summer cottage. One has only to plant a plant whose roots work at a different depth, as it will begin to pull useful elements from this soil layer and will please the gardener with its fruiting.

By alternating different plant families, you can maximize the yield of vegetables and turn your garden into a vibrant and lush oasis. There are several ways to approach this productive farming method. Let's consider the main methods of crop rotation at their summer cottage.

Plant rotation methods

Based on their capabilities and preferences, each gardener can choose the appropriate option for the annual movement of vegetable plants.

1. The most popular and proven method used by many gardeners is the use of a ready-made table, developed according to the rules of agricultural technology and based on the practical experience of farmers. In this case, the predecessor plant serves as a guide for crop rotation. Since this principle deserves more detailed consideration, it will be described below.
2. The annual change of places of plants is carried out, given their belonging toa certain family. Vegetables are planted in the following sequence: a bed reserved for tomatoes or eggplants is planted with legumes in the second year, and cruciferous in the third. For the fourth season, you can sow either umbrella or haze crops.
3. .
4. The next way is the class distinction of plants. They are divided into fruit, root crops, legumes and leaves. Four sections are being prepared, in each of which several types of plants from one group are placed at once. After fruit crops the next year, root crops are planted, after root crops - legumes. Leaves are replaced by fruit, legumes are replaced by leaves. In the third year, root crops are replaced by fruit crops, and the rest of the crops are moved to subsequent beds.
5. When organizing a crop rotation of vegetable crops in a summer cottage, their influence on the soil is important. For example, carrots and cabbage significantly deplete the soil. Peas and beans enrich the earth with nitrogen. Cucumbers and tomatoes leave behind various fungal infections and pests. Some types of plants contribute to the reproduction of weeds, so this factor must also be taken into account. To clear the bed of harmful plants, you can plant pumpkin or eggplant. They have the ability to suppress weeds.

From whatstart?

Despite the fact that there is a large arsenal of lists and tables compiled by agronomists, it is necessary to create your own crop rotation plan for your summer cottage. It must be drawn on paper and the sequence of landings must be clearly painted. The list should include only those plants that are grown annually. It would be good to immediately calculate the number of beds used for planting. The most fertile of them should be set aside for demanding crops such as cucumbers, zucchini and cabbage. They are pre-applied with complex and organic fertilizers. The drawing must be kept and noted in it every year for all sorts of changes, up to the amount of fertilizer applied.

Indicative plan

The way the crop rotation will be built in the summer cottage depends on the size of the area and the number of plants to be moved. The last indicator can vary from 3 to 10 units. The most optimal and simple option is 4 group sections. In the first season, plants are planted on them in the following sequence:

• 1st bed: intended for fruit, such as zucchini or tomatoes;
• 2nd bed: we will place root crops on it, in this case it will be carrots, since it likes to coexist with tomatoes and pumpkins;
• 3rd bed: peas and various types of beans;
• -bed: sorrel, lettuce and other leafy plants.

In subsequent years, the change of place of plants is carried out in a circle with moving to the next section.

Somerecommendations

It is impossible to master the principles of crop rotation in a summer cottage, guided only by tables. It is important to know some rules and learn to understand the needs and characteristics of specific plants. Here are some tips that will help you competently approach solving issues of this kind of gardening:

1. When distributing plants across territories, do not forget to take into account the length and power of the root system. Onions and cucumbers feed in the upper layer of the earth, tomatoes - a little deeper. Corn and alfalfa have long roots. In pepper, the nutrition system is located almost at the surface of the soil.
2. Plants with the same diseases and pests should not be planted side by side. They also cannot be counted as predecessors. In this regard, it is necessary to return cucumbers to the previous garden only after 4-5 years.
3. Peas and beans can grow successfully in one place for about three years.
4. Root crops love well-structured soils. For planting carrots and beets, organic matter is periodically introduced, which is the best baking powder for dense soil.
5. For the rational use of the garden, a crop such as radish is sown between other vegetables.
6. Onions grown for greens are planted in a new place every year. In order to save land, bumpers are created from it, edging vegetable crops that are suitable for compatibility.
7. It is not recommended to leave the beds reserved for rest without plantings, they need to be sown with green manure.
8. Perennial leafy plants are best placed at the edges of the beds, taking into account their positive effect on vegetables.
9. For potatoes, you need to allocate a separate place and alternate it with green manure plants.

Joint landings

Methods of mixed plantings significantly increase the efficiency of crop rotation at their summer cottage. As a rule, satellite plants are planted in rows between the main ones. In this case, agrotechnical tables should be used, taking into account the requirements of plants for lighting. Solanaceae, cucumbers, and beans love to grow in well-lit areas. Onions, beets, carrots and cabbage feel great in partial shade. With a lack of light, leafy crops and cabbage can grow.

Often auxiliary crops are fragrant herbs, because they have a specific smell that repels pests. Such a neighborhood confuses insects - they cannot find the desired crop and leave the beds.

Suitable predecessors

Finally, it's time to study the precursors that have different effects on vegetables. We find it appropriate to consider separately the effect of crop rotation on vegetable crops. A summer cottage or garden, where a successive alternation of plants will take place, must be divided into zones according to the level of fertility. In the first year, vegetables are planted, focusing on this factor, and then they use the general crop rotation rules.

• Potatoes. Absorbs large amounts of phosphorus and potassium. To replenish the supply of these trace elements, beforeby planting potatoes, the soil is enriched with peas, rapeseed, mustard, rye and phacelia. You can multiply the yield of tubers by planting a pumpkin in one bed.
• Cabbage. None of the cruciferous crops is a good predecessor for cabbage, as it accumulates a lot of pests. For her, the best plants are carrots, cucumbers and onions, from green manure - rapeseed and phacelia. You can not plant cabbage in the same section with tomatoes, parsley and beans.
• Cucumbers. Positively influencing plants include potatoes, onions, celery. It is good to plant cucumbers after legumes, as they provide the land with a sufficient dose of nitrogen.
• Tomatoes. It is better to alternate them with root crops. It has been noticed that a bountiful harvest of tomatoes can be obtained from the cultivation of carrots or potatoes.
• Carrots. Cabbage, tomatoes, beets and cucumbers are excellent predecessors for carrots. To protect beds with orange vegetables from carrot flies and mites, onions are planted between rows.
• Beets. It belongs to the most unpretentious root crops and is a good follower of cucumbers, tomatoes and onions.
• Pepper. Picky in the choice of predecessors, it develops well after almost all types of vegetables. Only cabbage and potatoes can have a negative effect on pepper. But after it, you can plant any vegetables. This is possible thanks to its root system, which draws nutrients from the surface layer of the earth.
• Garlic and onions develop well after carrots, beans, peas and potatoes.

Strawberry

Hardly when planningcrop rotation on a personal plot, the summer resident will exclude everyone's favorite strawberries. Novice gardeners should find out what conditions this valuable berry prefers. If we talk about predecessors, then they should not be demanding on the ground. Strawberries are transplanted once every four years. A suitable companion crop for it is garlic. It releases volatile substances into the soil and has a healing effect on the soil, and also protects it from slugs. Since strawberries deplete the soil too much, after it you need to plant plants that are able to restore it. Beans or flowers are ideal.

Organization of a garden plot

As for fruit bushes, when planting them, first of all, it is necessary to take into account compatibility with other berries. Placing raspberries next to strawberries will spread their common diseases and pests.

Invaluable assistance in crop rotation in the garden is provided by flowers. In addition to decorating the garden and garden beds, colorful plants protect vegetables from various pests. For quite a long time, the joint cultivation of flowers such as nasturtium, marigolds, mattiola and calendula has been included in the rules of agriculture. Medicinal chamomile helps fight whites on cabbage bushes. Nasturtium is best sown with plants affected by whiteflies. Calendula is able to protect beds with eggplant and potatoes from the Colorado potato beetle. Marigolds repel weevils and onion fly.

Chaotic placement of trees onplot leads to yield loss. For example, a powerful cherry root system can cause tremendous damage to neighboring plants; it is better to plant it separately from other trees. But the combination of peach and raspberry gives positive results. Many fruits can be obtained from the neighborhood of an apricot with a plum or from an apple tree with a pear.

Practical Tips

If you ignore some of the nuances, then crop rotation on the site will not be useful. Although farming is quite a pleasant pastime, without the expected results, it is impossible to get real satisfaction from it. Therefore, efforts must be made to get the maximum yield from the vegetables you have chosen. Each personal plot is individual, and you need to give preference only to those plants that grow well on it. Experienced gardeners know that it is better to purchase seeds of crops adapted to local climatic conditions. For example, in cold regions, you should not waste time and effort on the cultivation of heat-loving vegetables. After all, they can be purchased on the market, and the free area can be occupied with garlic, onions or beets. In areas with a dry and hot climate, it would be advisable to allocate an area for the cultivation of watermelons.

Conclusion

With proper organization of crop rotation at their summer cottage, the yield almost doubles. Use the tables of experienced gardeners and get fruits grown with your own hands. At the same time, do not forget about joint plantings and the role of flowers in gardening.