Planting crops after beets. Principles of crop rotation

Why are crop rotation rules so important?

To obtain good harvests, it is necessary not only to ensure that the plants have enough nutrients and are not bothered by diseases and pests, but also to take into account which crops to plant after. Let’s take a closer look at why you need to adhere to the rules of crop rotation (alternating planting of different crops).

Main reasons:

1. When growing one monoculture, the same pests and pathogenic microorganisms accumulate in the soil, capable of infecting plants of the same species.
2. The same vegetable crops absorb certain nutrients from the soil. The removal of the same microelements from the soil greatly depletes it. But this problem can be solved by applying organic and mineral fertilizers.
3. If crop rotation is not observed, harmful substances released by plant roots also accumulate in the soil. And if a crop is grown in one place for several years in a row, then the concentration of toxins will be high and will have a negative impact on the planted crops.

Tips and tricks

Experienced gardeners recommend strictly following the rules of crop rotation . This is the only way to get the most out of your summer cottage and get an excellent harvest every year. Ideally, culture can be returned to its original place only after five years. For some vegetables this period is reduced to 3-4 years.

It is clear that in a few years it will be difficult to remember in which bed this or that vegetable grew, so there is a planting diary in which you additionally note when and with what certain beds were fertilized.

Many summer residents grow a little bit of everything on their plots. In this case, two or more crops are often planted on one bed at once . It is important to follow the rules of mutually beneficial proximity of vegetables. In order not to forget next year in which part of the bed this or that crop grew, draw a plan of the plot in your diary and label each part of it.

The result of the experiment: compact planting of beets between TOMATOES!

A few words about fertilizing

The soil is prepared in advance, the necessary fertilizers are added to it in accordance with the requirements of each crop . Also, when applying fertilizers, the deadlines are observed.

For example, plants need nitrogen fertilizing during the period of vegetative mass accumulation . The addition of nitrogen during bud formation will provoke abundant growth of green mass to the detriment of fruit set. Excess nitrogen-containing fertilizers can provoke the development of fungal diseases.

Potassium and phosphorus fertilizers are applied during the formation of root crops in beets, carrots and potatoes, as well as fruit set in tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, and cucumbers. Organic matter is added to the soil in the fall, since this fertilizer takes time to decompose.

To protect crops from pests, chemicals are most often used, and it is important to observe the timing and dosage. The first treatment is carried out 10-15 days after planting the seedlings in the ground. The last spraying is carried out no later than two weeks before harvest.

What is planted after beets: crop rotation table

Crop rotation is the alternation of crops at one planting site; to obtain a high-quality harvest, the correct scheme is needed. To compose it correctly, you just need to know the basic principles that explain which vegetables are planted after which ones.

Please note: It is not recommended to plant crops of the same family in one place, but there are exceptions. It is also undesirable to plant first the crops that are most demanding of nutrients ahead of those that need them less.

All crops are divided according to their nutrient requirements into the following levels:

1. High - potatoes, cabbage, zucchini, celery, spinach, pumpkin. Potatoes and cabbage are a feature of crop rotation - they are planted in one place for several years in a row.
2. Medium - melon, cucumber, eggplant, radish, beets, tomato, carrots.
3. Low - onions, bush beans, lettuce, radishes.

Crop rotation table
Therefore, what can be planted next to beets can be easily calculated thanks to this list.

Why does the question of compatibility arise?

Beets are easy to care for and are grown everywhere in a variety of habitats. At the same time, the root crop has its own characteristics that must be taken into account when choosing a planting site and neighboring crops:

• Light level . For good growth and development, beets need sufficient sun during the day. Sunlight affects the size and color intensity of the root crop.
• Soil acidity . The vegetable does not develop well in acidic soil; the acid leads to blackening of the pulp. Excess lime weakens the plant and causes scab disease. The optimal soil acidity for beets is neutral, pH from 6.2 to 7.0.
• Humidity and watering . When planting, beet seeds require sufficient soil moisture for germination and rooting. In mid-growth, moderate watering is needed. During the ripening period, excess moisture can lead to rotting of the vegetable.
• Soil quality . The root crop develops poorly both in soil that is too dense, clayey, and in soil that is too light and sandy. Loamy soils with humus are ideal for vegetables.
• Sufficient power supply area . For proper development of the root crop, a minimum area per unit is required - 9 * 9 cm.

Beets do not grow well without sunlight. When choosing joint plantings with taller plants, beets should be placed on the sunny side.

The best predecessors for carrots in open ground

Although there are many tables that list good and bad predecessors, you should also rely on your own experience, make your own notes and notes, since information on the Internet can be contradictory. If you are a beginner gardener, here are some examples.

Suitable predecessors for carrots:

• nightshades (potatoes, tomatoes or physalis);
• pumpkin, cucumbers, watermelons and zucchini;
• cabbage and strawberries;
• spicy herbs (basil, savory, tarragon);
• greens (lettuce, spinach, chard);
• legumes, onions and garlic are also acceptable precursors.

The worst predecessors of carrots are parsley, caraway seeds and dill. These crops have a lot in common: diseases, pests and consumables, so it is not recommended to alternate planting them. For the same reason, celery should also be excluded. Root vegetables should also not be planted after beets.

Where to plant beets next to

The most suitable vegetable for simultaneous planting in the neighborhood is kohlrabi . This cabbage can be planted in the same bed with beets as follows: kohlrabi in the center, beets along the edges. Vegetables have a good effect on each other.

Kohlrabi is an early-ripening crop; it is harvested during the summer, and the beets have room to grow freely.

Also a good neighborhood will come from :

• lettuce;
• parsley;
• radishes;
• asparagus;
• broccoli;
• Brussels sprouts.

Neighbors such as mint, oregano, and marigold will successfully drive away most types of pests . If you plant marigolds next to vegetables, their roots will rid the beds of nematode larvae. The beets themselves will become an excellent neighbor for strawberries and grapes.

Gardeners have different opinions about the proximity of beets and carrots in the same bed . On the one hand, both crops require similar nutrients, on the other hand, carrots will not have enough light in the shade of beet tops. There is also the opposite opinion that such proximity has a healing effect for carrots.

Bad neighbors for beets

Beetroot is an unpretentious crop, but it also has undesirable neighbors . Thus, an excellent green manure mustard planted next to or before sowing beets will inhibit the root crop.

You shouldn’t plant peppers next to beets either - in such a neighborhood, although they won’t hurt, they will suffer themselves.

Another neighbor harmful to beets is corn . When it rises, it will shade its neighbor, which requires a lot of sun to mature successfully.

Reference. Table beets do not combine with their related crops: sugar beets and chard (herbaceous subspecies). If you sow rye next to beet beds, both crops will harm each other.

What to plant after beets next year?

It’s worth noting right away that in any case, the soil needs to rest and be properly fertilized. This crop belongs to the goosefoot family, is unpretentious and grows well in mineral-rich soils. The main requirement is abundant watering.

Potato

Potatoes
You can plant potatoes after beets, which grow quite well in any climate zone. For a better harvest, potatoes are planted in loose soil that is sufficiently moist.

Garlic

Garlic also grows well after beets, but it loves light very much - this must be taken into account. It is mainly grown on separate ridges, but if there is little space it can be combined with many crops.

Tomatoes

Tomatoes
It is good to plant tomatoes after beets. Before planting, the soil is well prepared and fertilized. The best feeding is considered to be humus or peat.

Carrot

Carrots
You can plant beets after carrots - and vice versa. This culture loves sun and moisture, but in moderation.

Eggplant

Eggplants
Eggplants grow well in those ridges where beets previously grew.

Pumpkin, cucumber, zucchini

Watermelon, cucumber, pumpkin, zucchini
All these unique vegetables will grow absolutely well after beets, but you must first fertilize the soil well.

Please note: To get a good harvest, you need to draw up a table where the garden is divided into sectors with the names of the crops, and next year use this plan for the next plantings.

Comments (4)

• Nika

  11/14/2018 at 00:32 |
  Any soil loves feeding, the more often we do this, the better for plants, the main thing is less nitrates and other GMOs. Compost and manure are the best, natural fertilizers for the soil.

  Answer

  Yulia Expert Plodogorod

  02/08/2019 at 23:44 |

  Hello Nika! Indeed, it is necessary to prepare the soil for plants in advance by adding the necessary nutrients to it. But the principle of more and more often does not always benefit the plants. For example, some of them prefer light soil, but in saturated and heavy soil they begin to get sick or not bear fruit.

  Fertilizers must be applied at a strictly defined time. So, nitrogen is needed during the period when your pets are gaining vegetative mass, but if you add it during the period when buds appear, the plant will begin to fatten. Namely, increase the number of shoots and leaves. In this case, you should not expect a harvest. If nitrogen-containing fertilizers are applied in the fall, then it is most likely that this will provoke the death of species growing in the place of application. An excess of this substance leads to the development of fungal diseases, so the dosage must also be observed.

  Don't underestimate synthetic fertilizers. They are able to quickly saturate plants with the missing elements. Organic matter takes time to decompose. And organic fertilizers that are not sufficiently rotted can generally cause a burn on the roots.

  Regarding harsher chemicals, such as poisons or medications, it is not very difficult to do without them. They preserve the harvest, as well as the health of your pets. In this case, it is also important when exactly the processing is carried out, so that before the fruit is harvested, harmful substances have already left them. In order to reduce risks, you can use biological products, but they are not effective in all cases.

  We would like to note that organic fertilizers should not replace synthetic fertilizers and preparations, but complement them. And if you follow the recommendations, you will only get positive effects from all these remedies.

  Answer

Is it possible to plant beets after carrots?

Since carrots and beets are planted every year, they can be easily replaced with each other according to the seasons. In general, the best predecessors for carrots are cucumbers, onions, garlic, as well as cabbage and zucchini.

The general principle of alternating plantings is to replace the “tops” and “roots” and it is best not to plant beets after beets for two years in a row, but to use crop rotation.

After carrots, cucumbers do well; they need to be thoroughly fertilized with manure before planting. Vegetables such as lettuce, cabbage, and mustard will help you relax and accumulate nutrients after planting carrots.

Please note: You should not plant carrots in one place for two years in a row, otherwise the harvest will be poor. And since root crops take up a lot of nutrients, it will take at least two seasons for the soil to recover.

Neighborhood with beets

Beetroot feels good next to the following crops:

• carrot;
• cabbage;
• celery;
• salad;

Beets feel good in the garden next to the onions

• kohlrabi;
• White cabbage;
• onion;
• garlic;
• spinach;
• radish;
• cucumbers;
• strawberry.

Flowers will be good neighbors for beets.

Attention! Beets have spreading foliage, therefore, it is necessary to keep a distance when planting plants.

Beetroot grows poorly next to plants:

• mustard;
• corn;
• beans;
• potato;
• chives.

There are also helper plants:

1. Chestnuts protect beets from beet moths.
2. Even a small amount of coriander growing nearby repels rodents from beets.
3. Hemp drives away the beet flea beetle.
4. The mole cricket avoids the marigolds.
5. To get rid of nematodes and butterflies around beet plantings, you need to plant chicory, nasturtium, marigolds, marigolds, and Persian chamomile.

What is better to plant after carrots next year?

To adhere to the rules of crop rotation, you need to know not only what to sow carrots after, but also what to plant after this root crop. The vegetable greatly depletes the soil; for this reason, after it it is desirable to plant crops that have a shallow root system and an “above-ground” harvest.

Important! Carrots can be returned to their original place no earlier than after 2-3 years.

• The following vegetables and fruits will feel good after carrots:
• nightshades (potatoes, tomatoes, eggplants, sweet potatoes and physalis);
• various varieties of pepper;
• cabbage, mustard and early radish;
• legumes (peas, beans and beans);
• berry crops such as strawberries and wild strawberries.

• Will grow poorly after carrots:
• melons (watermelons, melons, zucchini);
• onion and garlic;
• greens and herbs;
• celery, spinach and chard.

What is allowed to be planted in the garden and why?

Between the vegetable

• Leaf, head or asparagus lettuce . Lettuce grows faster, protecting young beet shoots. When the lettuce ripens, the beets take root and become strong enough.
• Bow on feather . First, the onion develops, covering the young shoots of the beet. As the onions recede, the beets take over and the overall yield increases.
• Leek, marjoram, radish, coriander, dill, parsley . The greens compact the beet beds, protecting the soil from weeds and drying out.

At close range

• 
  Cucumbers, tomatoes, legumes (peas, beans), asparagus, garlic . Beets are planted along the edge of the bed, on the sunny side, so that tall neighbors do not shade the shorter beets.

• Strawberries, different types of cabbage (cauliflower, cabbage, broccoli, kohlrabi) . In this neighborhood, the sunny side should be given to strawberries and cabbage, they are more dependent on the sun.
• Radish . Radishes germinate quickly and serve as markers for rows of slowly germinating beets.
• Carrot . Compatibility with carrots is a controversial issue. There is an opinion that root vegetables affect each other’s taste and, when planted close together, interfere with each other’s development. With sufficient distance between plantings, beets and carrots coexist peacefully.
• It is advisable to choose root vegetables with different ripening periods . Beets should be planted on the sunny side because carrot tops are taller and can choke the beets.
• Oregano, mint, catnip, marigold . Repels beet pests.
• Potato . It goes well with beets, provided there is good soil fertility.
• Regular and root celery, radish, spinach, dill, parsley . They grow normally next to beets and make suitable companions.

Beets grow well along the edges of the beds. This way it gets enough sunlight and protects the sides of its neighbors from drying out and weeds.

For those who want to grow beets, other materials on planting them will also be useful:

• Manual and other types of seeders.
• Planting in open ground in spring.
• When is the best time to plant?

Carrots: planting features

In autumn and winter, the earth should rest, renew itself, and return to a healthy state. Necessary actions to prepare the soil for spring planting:

• harvest vegetables;
• clear the area of ​​tops;
• sow green manure in the summer so that they have time to ripen before the cold weather;
• dig up the ground along with green manure;
• use preparations with bacteria to quickly process the soil;
• on cold days, the area is covered with film to create all conditions for grass processing;
• You can add humus, mineral fertilizers, ash, and compost.

Attention! Lime and fresh manure are applied no earlier than a year before sowing the vegetable. Site preparation is carried out in the fall

The earth is dug up, roots, stones are removed, everything that will interfere with the necessary growth in depth. Rotted compost is scattered as fertilizer (1 bucket per 1 sq. m), mineral additives: superphosphate and potassium sulfate (1 tbsp. per 1 sq. m)

Site preparation is carried out in the fall. The earth is dug up, roots, stones are removed, everything that will interfere with the necessary growth in depth. Rotten compost is scattered as a fertilizer (1 bucket per 1 sq. m), mineral additives: superphosphate and potassium sulfate (1 tbsp. per 1 sq. m).

Heavy soils can be lightened with river sand and peat in equal quantities. In spring, the soil is not dug up, the soil is lightly broken up with a rake, and nitrogen fertilizer (urea) is applied. 7–10 days before planting carrots, the area is well watered by sprinkling and covered with film. This way the soil will not lose moisture and will warm up.

Planting grooves are formed with a depth of 2–3 cm. 10–12 cm are retreated from the edge of the ridge, cutting the first strip. The distance between subsequent ones is 15–20 cm. The grooves are moistened with a warm manganese solution. Sprinkle the top with sifted wood ash.

The seeds are laid out evenly, every 1–2 cm. This will facilitate the labor-intensive thinning procedure. No more than four grooves are cut on one ridge, and no more than three in heavily moist areas. After planting, the furrows are covered with soil and compacted slightly. The ridges are covered with film to maintain the greenhouse effect.

How to best plan plantings taking into account crop rotation

First of all, make a detailed list of the crops that grow in your garden every year.

Next, determine the number of areas in which you will alternate crops.

The next step is to determine what type of crop rotation you will use. There are 5 methods: by group, by soil requirements, by family, by effect on the soil and by the best predecessor.

We recommend rotating vegetables according to their predecessors. Of course, this method is quite complicated, but it gives you some room to maneuver. This is especially true if most of your garden is occupied by one plant. For example, potatoes. In addition, this method will ensure the most complete crop rotation.

Rules for crop rotation when growing carrots

Like all root vegetables, carrots love loose, fertile soil. If there are not enough nutrients, root vegetables grow small, uneven and tasteless. This situation happens if crop rotation rules are not followed in the garden.

Crop rotation is the alternation of crops planted on a plot. Crop rotation rules are used to increase soil fertility and rational use of nutrients, as well as reduce the risk of disease development and pest invasion.

Attention. The place for growing carrots is changed every year. The crop is returned to its original bed no earlier than after 3-4 years.

Why is crop rotation important?

The main reasons why you should follow the rules of crop rotation:

1. The number of pathogenic microorganisms and pests in the soil decreases, since different groups of plants are affected by different pests and diseases.
2. Soil fertility does not decrease, but rather increases, because each crop enriches it with its nutrients.
3. The roots of some plants secrete toxins that inhibit the development of crops of the same family. Carrots are of this type. Proper crop rotation reduces this negative effect to zero, making the soil healthier.

Compliance with the rules of crop rotation increases yields and improves the quality of root crops.