Book 29, Question 114
Why shouldn't you plant tomatoes in the same spot every year?
Plants of the same family attract the same pests and diseases, which linger in the soil.
Growing tomatoes in the same place year after year lets those problems build up. Different crops also take different nutrients, so rotating them keeps soil balanced. Gardeners move crops around a few spots in a cycle of three or four years. It's a simple way to keep plants healthy.
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Quick answers
Why shouldn't you plant tomatoes in the same spot every year?
The principle of crop rotation is to plant a crop in a different location each year.
Source: Clemson
More fun facts
- Verticillium wilt fungus that infects a tomato crop one year will probably live in the soil for many years, and will infect subsequent crops of tomato, pepper, eggplant, and potato.
- Insect populations and plant damage may increase when the same crop is planted in the same area over several years.
- Tomato bacterial canker will persist in a viable state for three years, once it is introduced into the soil.
- Fusarium root rot fungus infection will increase in beans and peas unless there is a span of two to three years between plantings on the same plot of land.
- Knowledgeable vegetable growers who use correct crop rotation actually increase the productivity of their farms over many years of intensive cultivation.
Sources: Texas A&M University, Iowa State University