If you frequently plant your raised bed with the same plant family, cultivation problems can arise. Here's how to avoid that.

The correct crop rotation is particularly important in raised beds.

Everyone has their favorite vegetable and tends to grow it again this year after year. In small gardens where not much space is available, the broccoli can be found almost every year in the same place as the previous year. On the one hand, this means that the same nutrients are always extracted from the soil, which leads to what is known as soil fatigue. Furthermore, parasites and diseases are adapted to their hosts and can reproduce particularly well on certain crops or plant families. However, both of these growing problems can be avoided relatively easily with good crop rotation.

If you're wondering why this article hasn't talked about heavy, medium and weak feeders, read this other article on the subject of planting raised beds first: it describes the basic principles according to which raised beds are planted be planted.

Fruit rotation and crop rotation in raised beds

Each plant species is assigned to a plant family. Vegetables that belong to the same plant family often attract the same pests or plant diseases, such as fungi or viruses. In order to avoid annoying cultivation problems, there are two important precautionary rules to follow:

  1. Never grow perennial vegetables in the same spot two years in a row.
  2. Vegetables from the same plant family should also not be grown on the same spot for two consecutive years.
A good crop rotation is crucial for a successful harvest in raised beds

These two rules correspond to the principle of crop rotation. In the same place means that the same plant should not be grown again a few meters around the original planting spot. With a raised bed of about 2 square meters, it is best to take a break from cultivation, especially with sensitive plant families. WhenSensitive or endangered plant families are those that are often severely attacked by pests or diseases if the crop rotation is too close (i.e. species of the same family are often cultivated one after the other). These particularly sensitive plant families include the cruciferous, umbelliferous, daisy, and lepidopteran plants. Some associated types of vegetables are listed here as examples:

  • Cruciferous vegetables: all types of cabbage, radish, radish
  • Umbelliferous plants: carrot, celery, fennel, parsley, dill
  • Daisy family: lettuce, endive, chicory
  • Lepidaceae: pea, bean
When cultivating in raised beds, the different plant families should be considered

Ideally, a crop rotation is set up for several years, in which, for example, cabbage is only grown every three or four years. If there are several (raised) beds in the garden, conveniently spread out, you could alternate plant families in the beds. If you want to plant green manure plants in your raised bed in winter, be sure to check the associated plant family. Because, for example, mustard or radish (very popular green manure crops) belong to the cruciferous family and lose all positive green manure effects if cabbage is planted next spring. You can find out more about green manure in raised beds at the end of this article.

Tip: You can also supply the plants in your raised bed with long-term nutrients with a primarily organic long-term fertilizer. One of these is our Plantura organic universal fertilizer, which releases its nutrients slowly and gently over a period of three months, thereby stimulating soil life in the raised bed.

Planting raised bed: mixed culture

Different types of vegetables can promote each other's growth or keep pests away. Therefore, these are often planted next to each other in the sense of mixed culture. The following table shows which crops benefit from being in the same neighborhood in the raised bed and which types of vegetables do not get along well together:

  • Green Cross: These species encourage each other
  • Red Cross: These species do not get along
  • No Cross: No interspecies effects; can be grown next to each other without any problems
Overview of types of vegetables that are suitable for mixed cultivation

Planting plan in the sense of mixed cultivation

The following two examplesCrop rotations take into account the effects between the plant neighbors and the sensitive plant families, so that no annoying pests multiply in the garden. The order was chosen for newly filled raised beds. If your raised bed has been planted for a number of years, it is better to start at year 3 or 4.

Even in raised beds you should follow a crop rotation

If you have multiple raised beds, you can, for example, plant crop rotation 1 in raised bed 1, plant crop rotation 2 in raised bed 2, and start raised beds 3 and 4 with crops from year 2 of crop rotation 1 and 2. This way you are provided with many different types of vegetables.

Planting raised beds: growth-promoting/pest-repelling companion plants

In addition to the types of vegetables that can stimulate each other, many strong-smelling herbs and aromatic plants as well as strong flowering plants have a great influence on neighboring vegetables. Another advantage of these plants: they attract many beneficial insects to the garden. Root exudates from certain plants often ensure that harmful soil animals are driven away. Two classics known for their soil-improving properties are the marigold and the marigold, also known as "marigold".

Many plants can benefit from each other in the raised bed

With both plants, care must be taken to ensure that the plants do not reproduce themselves in autumn. It is therefore advisable to cut off the faded flowers or shake off the seeds before they fall off. Then the seeds can be sown again next spring exactly where the flowers are desired. The following table provides an overview of neighbors that protect plants:

Some plants help you fight annoying pests and diseases
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Tip: Proper planting can also protect against snails in raised beds.

Planting Raised Beds: Preventing Growing Problems

Here is a summary of what you can do to prevent soil fatigue and keep parasites and diseases out of your garden and raised bed:

  • If possible, do not plant the same crop in the same place two years in a row (perennial crops excluded).
  • If possible, do not plant vegetables of the same plant family in the same place for two consecutive years.
  • Types of cabbage (cauliflower, broccoli, white cabbage and red cabbage etc.) at best for several yearsgrow same space.
  • Check the mixed culture table to see whether cultures planned in the raised bed get along with each other.
  • For endangered crops (leeks, carrots, cabbages, strawberries), see if there are protective companion plants.

You can find more inspiration for “raised beds” on our Pinterest page

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Gardening Tips