Rotating crops in the back yard garden

[Carols Clucks]

Here in SoCal, our peppers over winter pretty well. We have left them the past 2 years, but should I rotate them-thinking of digging the root ball up and transplanting them to a new location Or should I let them be and just rotate the other veggies? The plants are pretty big, they did well, but I would like to rotate and put down peas for this year and them tomatoes after that

 

[ChickenWisperer]

I don't take care of our garden, but mom and dad rotate what veggies go where in the garden each year. Although, I know not if it helps

 

[Nicola]

From what i have heard if you don't rotate garden beds or the plants you plant in the garden veggie wise, nurtrients starts to lack in the soil and different plants take different nutrients from the soil. Legumes, like peas and beans make nitrogen in the soil more available with how their root system works etc. and if you have a nematode problem at any point planting tomato and nightshade family plants the nematodes will just keep coming back

here is alil fact sheet

http://www.abc.net.au/gardening/stories/s972741.htm

 

[RaZ]

Rotate your crops every 2 years to avoid plant specific pests in the soil. Don't plant from the same family of plants (ie tomato and pepper), switch with something completely different like suggested above. If you can, don't plant anything for a year.

Good luck trying peas in SoCal, they are a cold weather crop that like to germinate in cool weather.

 

[NanaKat]

Adding a good compost when you plant a bed helps to balance the micro-nutrients in the soil.
Your beds where you are might benefit from solar-cleansing by placing clear plastic over the bed to "cook" the pests before preparing the beds to replant.

 

[Carols Clucks]

I think I should clarify my question, I do not question the need to rotate crops, I have rotated the others. But these peppers have not moved, because they over winter so well and their production has raised as the plants age.

My question is:

Would you dig up and rotate peppers plants that over winter well or leave them in place and just rotate the other areas?

We have a giant compost bin busy cooking down 2 batches of compost for next season. (they are 4x4x4 and two of them one started first and will be tilled in and the other for top dressing plants after they come up and it starts to get hot here)

 

[Rte.66_chicks]

If I lived in a climate that allowed peppers to be perennials, I would leave them be and just add more of your great compost to them each year. No matter how careful you are, moving them would damage roots.

 

[silkiechicken]

Rte.66_chicks :

If I lived in a climate that allowed peppers to be perennials, I would leave them be and just add more of your great compost to them each year. No matter how careful you are, moving them would damage roots.

Yeah, if I could over winter a tomato or pepper plant... I would. Did not know they could over winter more than one winter though and still produce.

Think you can do peas in cali in the winter... all mine are frozen, lol and I grow them almost through summer. hahaha​

 

[Carols Clucks]

we use a type of pea as a cover crop

And I have a fence row of sweet peas started in the winter garden along with regular peas. I hear they handle minor freezes well. Guess we will know for sure in a few days, it got down close to freezing last night

 

[RaZ]

Quote:
Ah, I see now. We have a saying around here, "right plant in the right place". Seems like you have that right. I say leave it stay and only replace if and when it no longer produces good fruits.

What type of pea are you using for a cover crop? I want to try some type of cover crop up here.