Plant the same crop in the same spot two years running and you invite disease, deplete soil, and feed pests that overwintered nearby. Rotation breaks the cycle.
The four families
1. Legumes — beans, peas. Add nitrogen to the soil. 2. Leaves — lettuce, spinach, brassicas. Use nitrogen heavily. 3. Fruits — tomatoes, peppers, squash, cucumbers. Need rich soil. 4. Roots — carrots, beets, onions, garlic. Light feeders.
The 4-year rotation
| Year | Bed 1 | Bed 2 | Bed 3 | Bed 4 | |------|-------|-------|-------|-------| | 1 | Legumes | Leaves | Fruits | Roots | | 2 | Leaves | Fruits | Roots | Legumes | | 3 | Fruits | Roots | Legumes | Leaves | | 4 | Roots | Legumes | Leaves | Fruits |
Each bed cycles through every family, with legumes always preceding leaves (free nitrogen!) and roots always following fruits (less weed pressure after heavy mulching).
If you only have one bed
Still rotate — split it into quarters and shift each spring.
Permanent residents
Asparagus, rhubarb, and perennial herbs live outside the rotation in their own bed.
Sapience Garden tracks plant history per bed automatically. See the Grow features.