Crop Rotation Ideas

[Lucid]

Looking to start a new plot off next year. Want to grow sweet corn, but I need some ideas for crop rotations. I read soybeans are great with corn. Not terribly fond of soybeans! Limited on width of the plot, so would like to keep the # of crops down to 2 or 3 crops. Any ideas on other crops? Live in SE Virginia, zone 7b.

 

[koamfps]

I have a couple questions. What size will the sweet corn plots be? Is the sweet corn for your table or Deer?
Do you have many coons? If you don't you will Coons love sweet corn.

 

[Lucid]

I will guess-ta-mate the plot to be 25' wide x 250' long. Mostly will be for the family, but a few deer do stop by to nibble. I have coons in the woods behind me in the woods. I guess my zombie gnome won't hold them at bay?

 

[BamaPlowboy]

Green beans and southern peas are other legumes you could plant. Sounds like a good size plot for some watermelons too.

 

[johnk]

I will guess-ta-mate the plot to be 25' wide x 250' long. Mostly will be for the family, but a few deer do stop by to nibble. I have coons in the woods behind me in the woods. I guess my zombie gnome won't hold them at bay?

I think on a plot that size the coons will wipe you out as soon as its ripe...

 

[Lucid]

Is there anything that deters coons in the garden? They have never come up too close (that I'm aware of).

 

[AGRIMAN]

Peanuts are a good rotation.

 

[Lucid]

Hmm; Corn -> Peanuts -> Melons -> Corn ... Or maybe drop the melons out the rotation? All them sound tasty. I do grow butter beans, snaps, etc in my other garden already. Last season I grew 2 100' rows of snaps and I still have canned beans out the wazoo. My dogs love them!

 

[Don87]

Actually, you can grow corn and beans together............they love each other. Pole beans will climb the stalks, bush beans will grow just fine also.

No real need to rotate if you do it that way.

EDIT: I'll also add that mellons grow good with the other 2 also.........you can grow all three at once, although I would plant pole beans if planting melons.

I know nothing about peanuts though.

 

[Wyobuckaroo]

I know several of the sweet corn growers with produce stands around here will put a radio in there corn patch.
Wrap it in a plastic bag, tied to the top of a 5' step ladder and tuned to a 24hr talk station.
They say it works good, with both deer and racoons. (zone 3)

Good luck