Bed Memory3 year and 4 year crop rotation plans
A 3 year crop rotation keeps each plant family out of a bed for 2 years before it returns in the third. A 4 year rotation adds one more year.
The simplest version splits the garden into 3 or 4 groups and moves each group one bed along every year. Check a bed below.
Check one bed
This check keeps nothing. The bed log on the home page keeps your beds in this browser.
A 3 year plan
| Year | Bed A | Bed B | Bed C |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nightshades and squash | Legumes | Cabbage family and roots |
| 2 | Legumes | Cabbage family and roots | Nightshades and squash |
| 3 | Cabbage family and roots | Nightshades and squash | Legumes |
A 4 year plan
Split the last group: nightshades, legumes, cabbage family, then roots and onions. Each family returns to a bed in the fifth year.
When the plan breaks
Real gardens rarely fit: a bed grows peas in spring and squash in summer, or tomatoes take two beds. Keep a log of what grew in each bed, and before planting check that the family has not been there in the last 2 years.
Questions gardeners ask next
Is a 3 or 4 year rotation better?
Longer is better for soil-borne disease. Most gardens manage 3 years; 4 or more helps where disease has shown up.
What if I have only two beds?
Rotate by the gap rather than by groups: keep each family out of a bed for 2 years, using containers for the crops that do not fit.
Do perennials rotate?
No. Asparagus, rhubarb and perennial herbs stay in their beds.