It’s not always easy to remember which vegetables belong in the same families, which can make crop rotation a bit challenging. To make it easier, I’ve listed vegetable plant families and the common names of popular vegetables in each family:
Alliaceae: Chives, garlic, leek, onion
Chenopodiaceae: Beet, chard, spinach
Brassicaceae: Broccoli, Brussels sprout, cabbage, cauliflower, Chinese cabbage, kale, kohlrabi, mustard greens, radish, rutabaga, turnip
Asteraceae: Endive, globe artichoke, lettuce
Cucurbitaceae: Cantaloupe, cucumber, pumpkin, summer squash, winter squash, watermelon
Poaceae: Corn
Fabaceae: Green bean, fava bean, lima bean, pea, snap bean
Liliaceae: Asparagus
Polygonaceae: Rhubarb
Solanaceae: Eggplant, pepper, potato, tomato
Umbelliferae: Carrot, celery, Florence fennel, parsley, parsnip
Tips: Keep a notebook to remember what you planted each growing season. If you grew eggplant in a certain place in the garden over the last two years, don’t plant family members peppers, potatoes or tomatoes in the same spot this year. Instead, plant a vegetable from another family, such as carrots.
Perennials such as asparagus or rhubarb don’t need to be rotated annually. Crop rotation is used for annual vegetables planted each year.
Plant Information Source: “California Master Gardener Handbook,” published by the University of California’s Agriculture and Natural Resources Department and the University of California Cooperative Extension.
Photo Credit: Isabel Gomes
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{ 6 comments }
Great reminder!
I'd be so lost without my garden notebook.
You're so right, Annica. Just the other day, I went looking for my notes from last year… Thanks for stopping by. Teresa
I don't have a lot of room or a lot of sun so I'm pretty much an stuck planting things in the same spot of the garden each year. Do you think that transfering the soil between the different spots would do the trick?
Stevie: You might want to grow vegetables in containers. Look for smaller varieties that are well suited to containers. Earth Boxes, for example, don't need a lot of room in the garden. It's easier to change the dirt in these containers than to transfer dirt around your garden. Good luck! Teresa
I’ve been planning my garden with crop rotation (already started combining rotation of families, as well as nitrogen consumption (ie: brassica, followed by solanaceae, then alliaceae, then fabaceae)). However, I have limited space, and would like to know how many families should be rotated in (and out) before it’s reasonable to replant the original family in the same area?
Thank you for your help and expertise.
Hi Shelene: Many experts recommend you never plant the same family in the same spot for at least three years. But I know that isn’t always easy. I would recommend containers for some of your favorite plant families. And lots of organic matter (e.g., worm castings, aged manure and leaf mold) help keep the soil healthy too — so you might be able to cheat a little, if absolutely necessary. Good luck and thanks for stopping by.
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