[angelmum]

hi im a novice gardener just started last year and grew potatoes, tomatoes, aubergines, courgettes, peppers, garlic and beans in grow bags. made a bed this year and not sure how to rotate the drops. m planning to plant the same thing with the addition of onions and carrots and lettuce and spinach.

can i use the potato plot to plant beans and peas along with spinach and lettuce? plant potato where i previously had peas? what can i plant on bed previously grown with tomatoes, aubergines, courgettes and peppers?

or is rotating them after anyear necessary?

thanks and regards

[michael brenock]

rotation of crops involves growing crops of the same Botanical family together in one patch of garden and ensuring that the same group are not grown in the same plot again for 3-5 years, the longer the better. Potatoes and tomatoes are the same family, cabbages sprouts turnips and cauliflower are the brassica family, parsnips carrots celery and parsley are members of the umbellifera family. This is enough information to get you off to a good start. Rotation avoids build up of pests and diseases and allows more even uptake of nutrients.
michael brenock horticultural advisor (retired)

[Greengage]

In a small garden its not that important as you will not have a large build up of pests and you will probably adding garden compost yearly so you will not have a depletion of nutrients, wouldnt worry about it too much unless your a commercial grower.

[michael brenock]

potato cyst eelworm is the most important one f you grow potatoes. There is no cure for this pest once it gets into the garden
michael brenock horticultural advisor (retired)

[angelmum]

thank you all so much for the usual im getting here.