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Correct crop rotation in garden beds: how to avoid soil depletion
02.11.2024 05:50
Continuous cultivation of the same crops in the same place depletes the soil, reduces yields and promotes the proliferation of pests.
Proper crop rotation helps avoid these problems, keeping the soil fertile and healthy.
The expert of the online publication "BelNovosti", scientist-agronomist and landscape designer Anastasia Kovrizhnykh reminded us about the principles of crop rotation.
Why crop rotation is necessary and how it affects the soil
Each plant consumes certain nutrients in different quantities. For example, cabbage actively draws nitrogen, and root crops take potassium.
If you plant the same crop in the same place every year, the soil quickly becomes depleted and the plants begin to receive less of the nutrients they need.
Proper crop rotation helps prevent this. In addition, plants release different substances into the soil, and by rotating crops, you can minimize the risk of toxin accumulation.
Some crops, such as legumes, add nitrogen to the soil, so they are planted before those that require this element in large quantities.
This is a natural way to maintain fertility without the use of chemical fertilizers.
Basic principles of crop rotation in the garden
In order to get a healthy harvest, you need to take into account several rules of crop rotation.
First, do not plant plants from the same family in a row in the same bed, as they have similar nutrient needs and pests. For example, do not plant potatoes after tomatoes, as this will deplete the soil and increase the risk of disease.
Secondly, the following season after "heavy" crops that intensively take up nutrients (cabbage, corn), "light" crops should be planted - greens, legumes, carrots. Legumes enrich the soil with nitrogen, improving the soil structure and making it suitable for other plants.
The third principle is that once every few years it is useful to give the soil a rest by planting green manure (mustard, lupine, phacelia). They help restore nutrients and suppress weed growth.
Examples of successful crop rotation on a plot
There are many crop rotation schemes that are suitable for gardeners. For example, you can alternate like this: plant potatoes in the first year, carrots in the second year, cabbage in the third year, and legumes in the fourth year.
This sequence will help maintain nutritional balance. A scheme that works well is to divide the beds into four zones: one zone is for root crops (beets, carrots), the second - for cabbage, the third - for nightshade (tomatoes, peppers), the fourth - for legumes.
Every year the crops are shifted to one bed in a circle. This helps to reduce the number of pests, since they do not have time to settle in one place, and to avoid depletion of the soil.
