Crop Rotation

Question from Mari:
I live near Fairbanks Ranch in San Diego county and grow organic vegetables in raised beds. Since I love broccoli, I want to grow them most of the year, however, I realize that you need crop rataions. Is it o.k. to rotate with only 2 different family of vegetables (e.g., legumes and broccoli)?

Also, do you know someone in San Diego county with good knowledge of organic vegetable gardening who could help me with my garden?

Thank you very much.

Answer from Pat:
Crop rotation is a time-honored way to reduce diseases that can be carried over in the soil, but just switching two crops back and forth doesn’t do the trick. It takes three—better yet four—seasons between crop rotations in order for the technique to do the job of controlling soil pests and diseases. Additionally, why not plant a wider range of different things? I’ve often heard the saying, “Eat the rainbow!” and I couldn’t agree more. I believe in “Grow the Rainbow!”

Would it be possible for you to increase the size of your vegetable garden? The easiest way to garden in Southern California is to grow vegetables year-round but to plant with the rhythm of the seasons—summer crops in March, April, and May and winter crops in September and October. That way, crop rotation becomes easier.

But if the two-crop way is really what you want to do and if you’re gardening in the ground, create a bigger garden, grow vegetables in one third or one fourth of the space each year and grow cover crops on the rest. You would end up with great soil.As to methods of finding a good organic gardener to work in your garden, I suggest looking for ads at nurseries, talking to folks at the county fair, going to meetings of the San Diego Horticultural Society, and phoning the Master Gardeners.