Why crop rotation keeps soil productive
A practical guide for Crazish readers, written from everyday experience.
Growing the same crop in the same field year after year tends to exhaust particular nutrients and lets pests and diseases that favour that crop build up. Crop rotation breaks the cycle by changing what is planted in a field from season to season. A classic sequence alternates heavy feeders such as cereals with legumes that add nitrogen back to the soil.
The principle works at any scale, from large farms to a vegetable allotment divided into four beds. Group plants by family, move each group to the next bed every year and keep simple notes so the sequence is not forgotten. Over time, rotation reduces the need for fertilisers and pesticides and helps maintain the soil structure that keeps yields steady.