Although it may be difficult to maintain a cohesive long term gardening plan in a college environment where students come and go quickly and many hands are involved in planting, trying to maintain a 3 year crop rotation is beneficial to the soil and consequently the plants will grow better. This system is an organic alternative to controlling pests and diseases by allowing the correct balance of nutrients to stay in the soil which supports diverse communities of microorganisms. First, here are some basic families. Plants from the same family should not be planted repeatedly in the same raised bed.
Beet family: beet, chard, spinach
Cabbage family: broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, radish, turnip
Carrot family: carrot, celery, cilantro, dill, parsley, parsnip
Grass family: corn
Lettuce family: artichoke, lettuce
Lily family: chives, garlic, leek, onion
Pea family: bean, peanut, pea
Squash family: cucumber, melon, pumpkin, squash
Tomato family: eggplant, pepper, potato, tomato
Plants from these families consume similar nutrients and also contract similar diseases. Thus, in the bogarden, where we are having trouble with a fungus on our tomatoes, it is advisable not to replace our diseased tomatoes with peppers, potatoes, or tomatoes.
Furthermore, to diversify the output of each bed (which is important in community gardening operations) you can practice companion planting. Such pairings can be for structural reasons (e.g. beans grow up a corn stalk and squash protects against weeds) or for nutrient balance reasons. An extensive list of proper companion plants (and planting schedules for Charleston) can be found at Hyams garden center on Folly Rd. or online at www.companionplanting.net, attra.ncat.org
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