Rotating planting locations

by Carolyn Haley
(Vermont, USA)

In your article about tomato blight you said, "Do not plant any crop in the same place more than one year" (etc.)

Which raises the questions (1) How many years before you can replant in the original spot, and (2) how far apart do you have to move in order to be in "clean" soil?

I have a dinky garden, and use a lot of planters to get additional space -- although I rotate, I may not be leaving enough time between crops.

Thanks!

Doug says that generally we like to look at a minimum of three years before planting in the same spot - four years is preferable. And in an ideal world, as far apart as possible - in an "un-ideal" world - as far apart as possible.

The length depends on the problem - but generally you're not going to find soil problems move more than a few feet. If that problem is carried by an insect, then all bets are off (as they are if the problem is carried by wind/rain). In those cases, you need a great deal more distance.

On a practical level, I tend to move my garden in quarters and revolve around a square one spot every year so there isn't all that much distance (you could leave a small buffer zone between same-family crops (fill it with flowers)) between them.

Hope that helps.

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Rotating planting locations

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Blight and soil
by: Anonymous

First you need to be certain what you have is indeed Late Blight because there are a number of different fungal diseases that affect tomatoes. Google a site called Tomato Problem Solver, which has pix that will help you figure it out.

Late Blight does NOT live in the soil, only in living plant tissue, so it dies over the winter in most of North America.

Other diseases, though, like Early Blight and Septoria Leaf Spot, do survive in the soil over the winter, but they won't devastate your tomatoes with the same speed as Late Blight. They're a major hassle, especially in a wet summer, but not the immediate death sentence that LB is.

Rotating plants, ctnd.
by: Carolyn

Thanks much for this info. Can you address a specific circumstance -- tomato blight?

I got it bad this year, like so many other people, and am at a loss about where to put my tomatoes next year. I do not understand if blights are soil-borne or airborne.

Similarly, we had a horrific outbreak of slugs this year, and I haven't been able to confirm whether they live dormant in the soil until conditions come right or if they die off over the winter.

Thanks!

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Doug Green