Step by step – to the vegetable growing plan

Preparation

1. The sowing calendar

2. Location - sun and soil

3. Select plants

4. Overview and organization

Create plan

5. Crop rotations and planting breaks

6. Companion plants

7. Use growing areas

8. The annual rotation

Create your own growing plan.
5. Crop rotations and planting breaks

Home-grown vegetables for all the coming years - without chemicals and pesticides, with only healthy soil! Thoughtful crop rotation and keeping planting breaks are essential to keep the soil fertile and healthy.

🔁 Crop rotations ⏸️ Planting breaks 🌱 Soil health

What are crop rotations?

Crop rotation is a principle in vegetable growing in which plants from different plant families are grown one after another in the same growing area. The goal is to maintain soil fertility and health in the long term.

What are planting breaks?

The planting break of a plant indicates how many years it may not be grown in the same growing area. As a rule, the planting break of the plant family applies to the subordinate plant species; there are only a few exceptions where the planting break of a plant species differs from the parent plant family.

Can our favorite vegetables be grown like this?

To answer this question, we need these properties:

Plant species: cucumber <br> Plant family: gourds <br> Planting break: 3 years

Plant species: cucumber
Plant family: gourds
Planting break: 3 years

Plant species: sweet pepper <br> Plant family: nightshades <br> Planting break: 4 years

Plant species: sweet pepper
Plant family: nightshades
Planting break: 4 years

Plant species: carrot <br> Plant family: umbellifers <br> Planting break: 3 years

Plant species: carrot
Plant family: umbellifers
Planting break: 3 years

Plant species: broccoli <br> Plant family: mustards <br> Planting break: 5 years

Plant species: broccoli
Plant family: mustards
Planting break: 5 years

Can our favorite vegetables be grown like this now?

Is crop rotation considered?

Each plant belongs to a different plant family, so crop rotation is maintained.

Are the planting breaks kept?

The planting breaks can’t be kept this way. This crop planning actually harms soil health; once diseases are in the soil, they can remain there for up to 20 years.

Ok, let’s find a solution!

The planting break of a plant indicates how many years it may not be grown in the same place. Sweet pepper needs a 4-year break, so it needs a growing area with 5 sub-areas or must be grown in a group with 5 growing areas and/or sub-areas. Broccoli needs a 5-year break, so it needs 6 growing areas and/or sub-areas.

Now you can see how useful good growing area planning is :) - The easiest solution now is to use our "Raised beds by the hedge" and plant the empty growing areas with vegetables that fit the crop rotation.

Raised beds by the hedge

Another solution would be to replace the sweet pepper and the broccoli - which is of course sad.

GrowSimply - sustainable growing plans

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GrowSimply creates your vegetable growing plan and important to-dos automatically and manages everything for you! Crop rotation, planting breaks, companion plantings, the right timing, and annual rotation are considered for all coming years.

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No paperwork

No planning mistakes

Create your own vegetable growing plan. Start planning.

That was great!

Crop rotations and planting breaks are among the central topics in vegetable growing. Diseased soil is the invisible enemy of every plant; in diseased soil even the most robust plants cannot thrive. Soil is the heart of your garden. Keeping it healthy is the foundation.

Shall we look at companion plants?