Crop Rotation

[gunrunner]

Greetings from Presleyville!!!

For the last two years my tomato crop has been bad. Last year when the crop died out in
early July I planted some peanuts behind the tomatoes and they did great. I onlt have one area for tomatoes to grow, so what should I do to keep the ground from becoming
worn out?


Thanks
Mike
Memphis

[kath]

Hi, Mike! What seems to be killing your tomatoes? Critters? Foliar disease? Systemic disease? Got pictures? No expert here, but a bit more info, even a description of what you've observed, would be helpful in narrowing down what the problem might be- and the solution.

kath

[AlittleSalt]

Originally Posted by kath

Hi, Mike! What seems to be killing your tomatoes? Critters? Foliar disease? Systemic disease? Got pictures? No expert here, but a bit more info, even a description of what you've observed, would be helpful in narrowing down what the problem might be- and the solution.

kath

Kath, I looked up the average yearly rainfall there in Memphis. It's 53.68". I wonder if that could part of it? That's a lot of rain. The national average is 39.17".

[gunrunner]

last year I think I used too much nitrogen, and the year before that I just don't know. Had to replant most of the crop and they still did not do well.


thanks
Mike

[amideutch]

The only way to find out is have a soil test done. Once you get the results then you will know what to do.

Ami

[Redbaron]

Originally Posted by gunrunner

Greetings from Presleyville!!!

For the last two years my tomato crop has been bad. Last year when the crop died out in
early July I planted some peanuts behind the tomatoes and they did great. I onlt have one area for tomatoes to grow, so what should I do to keep the ground from becoming
worn out?


Thanks
Mike
Memphis

I recommend a multi species winter cover crop to grow right after the first frost when the tomatoes die til the same week you put the tomatoes out. This allows a "rotation" even though you really don't have room to do a proper rotation. If you get creative, you might even be able to plant them in fall before the tomatoes actually die out, just to give them a head start. Winter peas, winter cereal rye, certain brassicas, some types of cool season clovers etc all do well in cold weather and allow a "rotation" even though the plot will have tomatoes again next year.

[RickyD]

Originally Posted by Redbaron

I recommend a multi species winter cover crop to grow right after the first frost

I did Clover, Hairy Vetch, winter peas at Oxford due to poor soil conditions also. Planted some in the blank spots and between the rows late august, rest as summer stuff came out. Looks good now, make sure your rabbit, deer fence is good!

[b54red]

If you don't have fusarium wilt or nematodes then a soil test will help. I have both and the only thing that works consistently for both of those problems is resistant varieties or grafting onto resistant rootstock.

If your problems are poor soil then start adding amendments as soon as possible. Composts and manures will help with the texture of the soil. I like using cottonseed meal and alfalfa pellets a few weeks before planting because of their fertilizer value and the way they attract earthworms which buildup the soil. In the past I have used grass clippings, composted hay, peanut shells, coffee and tea grounds, chicken manure, horse manure, cow manure, mushroom compost, rotted sawdust, wood ashes, pine bark fines, greensand, peat, and compost from vegetable wastes. I still add what I can and they all have some benefits but knowing what you need and what problems you are dealing with is critical in knowing what to add to your soil.

Bill