Plant families and rotation

Rotation was another topic we covered in our recent Pest, Disease and Fertility class. Rotation, moving plants to different areas in your garden each year or in successive plantings, can be helpful in reducing the build up of diseases and pests. It’s important to know which family each plant belong to because they often share the same problems and nutrient needs. You can find the Family Chart.  here.

The first line of the chart is the scientific name. The second line gives the common name.  The third line indicates whether it is a heavy or light feeder and the  fourth line gives the part harvested and the primary nutrient required.  N is nitrogen, P is phosphorous and K is potassium. Next is a list of vegetables in each family.