EdenVatika
Home Tools Crop Rotation Planner
Free Tool

Crop Rotation Planner

Select what you grew last season and get instant recommendations for this year — organised by plant family to break pest cycles and replenish soil nutrients.

What did you grow last season?

How it works

1

Tick last year's crops

Select every plant family you grew in a bed or plot during the previous season.

2

Get your rotation plan

We identify which families to avoid and which to prioritise for each position.

3

Improve year on year

Follow a 3–4 year cycle to break disease cycles and build soil fertility naturally.

What Is Crop Rotation and Why Does It Matter?

Crop rotation is the practice of growing different plant families in the same soil each year, rather than planting the same crops in the same spot season after season.

Repeating the same family in the same bed allows soil-borne diseases like clubroot (brassicas) and blight (nightshades) to build up to damaging levels. Rotating breaks this cycle by removing the host plants those pathogens depend on.

Different plant families also have different nutrient demands. Legumes fix atmospheric nitrogen into the soil, making them an ideal predecessor for hungry crops like brassicas.

A simple 4-year rotation — Legumes → Brassicas → Roots → Nightshades — is the foundation most kitchen gardeners use, and what this planner is based on.

The 4 Main Rotation Groups

🫛

Legumes

Fix nitrogen into the soil. Grow first in the rotation.

Includes: Pea, Broad Bean, French Bean, Runner Bean, Clover

🥦

Brassicas

Benefit from the nitrogen left by legumes. Never follow themselves.

Includes: Cabbage, Broccoli, Kale, Cauliflower, Brussels Sprout, Turnip

🥕

Roots & Alliums

Prefer lower-nitrogen soil; good after brassicas.

Includes: Carrot, Parsnip, Beetroot, Onion, Garlic, Leek

🍅

Nightshades & Cucurbits

Heavy feeders. Benefit from composted beds.

Includes: Tomato, Pepper, Potato, Cucumber, Courgette, Squash

Frequently Asked Questions

How many years should a crop rotation cycle last?

A minimum of 3 years is recommended — ideally 4. This gives enough time for soil pathogens specific to each family to decline in the absence of a host.

Does crop rotation work in raised beds?

Yes, and it is often easier to manage in raised beds because each bed can represent one rotation group. Label your beds and rotate all groups one position clockwise each spring.

What if I only have one bed or a small space?

Even rotating within a bed helps. Split the bed in half and swap the halves each year. Any distance helps — the goal is simply to avoid growing the same family in the same soil two years in a row.

Do herbs need to be rotated?

Most culinary herbs (basil, parsley, dill) benefit from rotation. Perennial herbs like rosemary, thyme and sage stay in place. Mint should always be in a container.

Can I add green manure to my rotation?

Yes — green manures like clover, mustard or phacelia fit naturally into a rotation. Leguminous green manures (clover, vetch) count as part of the legume group.

More Free Gardening Tools

Plan every part of your kitchen garden — all free.

EdenVatika App

This tool plans one rotation.
The app remembers every season.

Crop rotation only works if you remember what was in each bed. The app tracks your bed history automatically, so it can always recommend the right family for the right spot.

  • 🌱

    Garden beds tracker

    Log every bed with its crop family history — never forget what grew where

  • 🏆

    Bed history insights

    See year-on-year performance per bed and the best rotation sequences (Pro)

  • Smart seasonal suggestions

    App auto-recommends the ideal crop for each bed based on what grew there (Pro)

  • 📅

    Planting calendar

    Full zone-based sow, transplant and harvest dates for your rotated crops

  • 🔔

    Task reminders

    Get notified when it's time to prepare beds, sow or transplant

Free to start

2 beds included · task reminders · plant database

Start Free → Already have an account? Sign in