Crop Rotation: keep bed history and stop repeat plant families
Crops in the same plant family share pests and soil diseases. Extension guidance says not to grow the same vegetable family in the same spot more than once every 3 to 4 years. ThriveThyme uses 3 years: tomatoes in a bed in 2026 means no tomato family crops there until 2029.
Save what grew in each bed every season and get a warning when the same plant family would go back too soon. Plant family table with rotation years from extension guidance.
How to use it with the bed planner
- Open My Garden and add each bed as a garden area. Assign your plants to beds.
- Pick the season, for example 2026 Fall, and press Save this season. It records what is in each bed.
- Next season, switch to the new season and place crops. A bed shows a warning if that family grew there too recently.
- Open History and good next families on a bed to see past seasons and what to plant next.
History is saved in your browser. Record October beds before you forget.
Plant families and rotation years
| Family | Crops | Wait | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tomato family (Solanaceae) | tomato, pepper, eggplant, potato | 3 years | Early blight, Septoria, and Verticillium carry over in soil. Follow with beans or peas. |
| Cabbage family (Brassicaceae) | broccoli, cabbage, kale, collards, radish, turnip, arugula, bok choy | 3 years | Clubroot and black rot persist in soil. Four years is better where clubroot has shown up. |
| Squash family (Cucurbitaceae) | cucumber, squash, pumpkin, melon, watermelon | 3 years | Squash bugs, cucumber beetles, and wilt diseases build up. Follow with beans or peas. |
| Grass family (Poaceae) | sweet corn, oats, cereal rye | 3 years | Corn is a heavy nitrogen user. Cereal cover crops count as this family. |
| Pea and bean family (Fabaceae) | beans, peas, clover, vetch, winter peas | 3 years | Legumes fix nitrogen and are the usual follow up to heavy feeders. Legume cover crops count as this family. |
| Onion family (Amaryllidaceae) | onion, garlic, leek, chives | 3 years | Onion white rot and onion maggot persist in soil. |
| Carrot family (Apiaceae) | carrot, parsnip, celery, parsley, dill, cilantro | 3 years | Root crops do well after a heavy feeder that left loose soil. |
| Beet family (Amaranthaceae) | beet, spinach, Swiss chard | 3 years | Also listed as the goosefoot family (Chenopodiaceae). |
| Sunflower family (Asteraceae) | lettuce, endive, sunflower, zinnia, marigold | 3 years | Lettuce is the main vegetable here. Annual flowers in this family share some diseases. |
| Mallow family (Malvaceae) | okra, hollyhock | 3 years | Okra is prone to root knot nematodes, which rotation helps reduce. |
| Morning glory family (Convolvulaceae) | sweet potato, morning glory | 3 years | Rotate sweet potatoes to limit scurf and wireworm. |
No set rotation: mint family (basil, mint, oregano, sage, thyme, rosemary); rose family (strawberry, raspberry, blackberry, fruit trees); heath family (blueberry); grape family (grape); asparagus family (asparagus); buttercup family (columbine); pink family (dianthus); nasturtium family (nasturtium); violet family (pansy); poppy family (poppy); plantain family (snapdragon).
What to plant next
After heavy feeders (tomato, cabbage, squash, and corn families), plant beans, peas, or a legume cover crop. They add nitrogen for the next crop. Light feeders such as carrots, beets, lettuce, and onions fit the year after.
Sources
Shop Seeds Now: bean seeds for a bed after tomatoes
Some outbound seed-house links may be affiliate links.