Although you don’t need to get too obsessive about crop rotation you should avoid growing the same type of crops in the same patch of soil year after year.

Different types of plants benefit from different types of nutrients and suffer from different types of pests and diseases. Moving crops around helps reduce the risk of creating a build up of pests or disease in a given area and also makes best use of available nutrients. Some crops also benefit by following a specific type of crop. Crops such as sweetcorn and members of the squash family can fit in where there are any gaps. Lettuces and other salad leaves can also be grown in any available spaces.

The following describes a more formal, ideal scenario but don't fret if you can't stick to the 'rules' rigidly.

Although some rotation rules can be broken the following are important:

• Don't grow carrots, parsnips or beetroot in a bed that has had manure added.  Manure makes these vegetables 'fork' that means they produce branching roots rather than one tap root.
• Don't grow potatoes in a bed that has had lime added. Lime can cause potatoes to be scabby.
• Make sure you don't grow plants in the same place every year.
• Keep a record of what you plant where.

There are two types of commonly used 'formal' rotation – three year rotation and four year rotation.

Once you have decided which type of rotation you wish to use allow some beds for more permanent planting such as fruit and herbs. Allow some space for flowers which will attract beneficial insects which will help control pests. Then divide your patch into three or four equal areas. If you are using a raised bed system then you need to divide the available beds into three or four groups.

Plant families:

Plan created using GrowVeg planner

Four year rotation.

Divide your crops into four sections

Option 1

1. In section one plant, crops from the potato family (if you wish add a sprinkling of garden lime to area after cropping - use gloves and don't allow children to work with lime)
2. In section three plant the legume family (add more garden lime to area after cropping)
3. In section four plant brassicas.
4. In section two plant crops from the onions and roots family (add manure or manure substitute to soil after cropping - manure must be well rotted and from a trustworthy supply)

Each year move the crops one step clockwise 

Plan created using GrowVeg planner

Option 2

1. In section one plant, crops from the potato family
2. In section two plant crops from the onions and roots family
3. In section three plant the legume family
4. In section four plant brassicas.

You may prefer to grow potatoes in planters rather than in the open ground - you won't have a good a crop but this may not be a consideration. If you do what will you do with the bed allocated to potatoes? Maybe plant it up with annual flowers?