Crop Rotation – /kräp rōˈtāSH(ə)n/ – practice

December 1, 2020

Definition: Alternating the types of crops grown on a piece of land over time. Crop rotation is one method farmers can use to ensure their land has nutrient-rich and healthy soil.

A Closer Look: When farmers plant the same crop in the same area of a field year after year, the soil loses essential nutrients. This loss of nutrients results in a decrease in soil quality and crop yields over time. The Forest Garden Approach encourages farmers to practice crop rotation because it continuously replenishes their soils with a variety of nutrients.

Crop Rotation Applied: When applied strategically, crop rotation can help plants thrive. For instance, if a farmer has just harvested beans from a plot in his garden, he could consider what impact the beans had on the soil. Knowing that beans fix nitrogen to the soil, the farmer may choose to grow lettuce for the upcoming season. The nitrogen from the beans will ensure that his lettuce has all the nutrients needed to grow vigorously without harming the health of the soil.

Check out our Permagardening Year-Round Module where you can discover two methods of crop rotation used in our program: Crop Rotation by Type and Crop Rotation by Family