the answer can be found in the book since crop rotation does not work well on such small scale.

Depends on what you're looking for from crop rotation. If you want it to prevent diseases and pests from attacking plants year-to-year, sorry, it doesn't work. I've got 4 beds totaling 150 SF in close proximity and I have trouble with pests jumping from bed to bed.

However, if you're rotating crops for the purpose of not depleting the nutrients in the soil, adding compost every time you replant solves that.

Hope that helps. Enjoy your garden!

Here is a link that might be useful: Sinfonian's garden

Homeend, in my copy of the 1981 SFG book, Mel clearly states the importance of crop rotation, but seems to feel that it will happen automatically and you don't need an elaborate plan. I found it pretty easy to make sure I was rotating. Next time I'm in a bookstore I will check out the NSFG book to see what it says about this.

Sinfonian, thanks for the nice answer. I would be adding compost for each planting to take care of the nutrient issue. With rotation I hoped to rotate the different botanical plant families to interrupt the disease cycles, which most of the garden books I've read recommend we do. Hopefully this approach will allow for healthier soil, as in the past in another garden I found that planting the same crop in the same place year after year, in this case tomatoes, resulted in the yields and plant health getting steadily worse year after year.

Enjoy your garden too!

Homeend, you seem to chime in with that response quite often. You wouldn't happen to have any vested interest in the book(s) would you? ;)

At any rate, many of us already own the book(s) and are simply looking for practical advise. Most times you need more than just the theoretical information presented in a text book to succeed.

Don't worry, no one is trying to undermine your profits.

Howelbama, very perceptive, articulate post. I agree 1000%. If the books were the answer to everything, there wouldn't be any posts on this board! :-)

howelbama i have no vested interest in the sale of mels book.
but if are following the square foot method the book should be consulted because most the answers people are looking for
are in the book. If someone is trying to follow the method you need the book and it read carefully. Since so many square foot failures come from people you just try to follow the spacing but neglected to follow the other square growing requirements.