Crop rotation
Many plotholders advise not planting the same annual crop in the same place each year — for plant health and productivity, give it a new spot annually, with a minimum three-year cycle before a crop returns. This is where knowing your plant families pays off. The classic rotation is:
| Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Area 1 | The rest | Brassicas | Root crops |
| Area 2 | Brassicas | Root crops | The rest |
| Area 3 | Root crops | The rest | Brassicas |
A typical first-year layout:
- Area 1 — root crops (carrots, parsnips, beetroot, salsify)
- Area 2 — brassicas (cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, sprouts, turnips)
- Area 3 — the rest (potatoes, celery, leeks, peas, beans), plus space for permanent crops (herbs, fruit, rhubarb).
You don’t have to follow this rigidly — but keep a sketch of your crops each year so you don’t plant the same family in one spot two years running. There’s also a view that rotation is inherited from large-scale farming and matters less on a small plot: a good autumn/winter mulch may replenish the soil enough to repeat a crop. Different plants like different conditions, so experiment — and if you find the perfect spot, stick with it.
