From: "Gloria Morris" <gloriamorris59 AT gmail.com>
To: homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org
Subject: Re: [Homestead] Tomatoes, to rotate or not to rotate
Date: Mon, 5 May 2008 19:55:34 -0500
I have always tried to rotate crops. I figure it isn't that difficult
to do, and it may help to cut down on viruses. So yes, I try to avoid
planting potatoes, tomatoes, and the other susceptible crops in the
same place, to give the soil time to recover - at least five years,
ideally. But I grow enough other things that the rotation isn't really
that much of a problem. I keep a garden plan for each year in a
garden, for reference.
I prefer to plant in wide beds instead of rows. I prefer to plant in
beds that are roughly 4 feet wide (except for the larger vines, which
get wider beds). I probably don't use land with the most efficiency,
as I like to have aisles of three feet between the beds. I am sure I
could probably manage with narrower aisles, which would give me more
planting area, but that would be at the expense of working comfort for
me.