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Re: Crop Rotation

----------
> From: vivian viverito <viverito@ESMSUN.GTRI.GATECH.EDU>
> >Recently on the rec.gardens newsgroup there's been a discussion about
NOT
> >rotating Tomatoes. The reasoning behind this is that tomatoes send
> >especially deep roots, so if you plant them in the same place year after
> >year, the roots don't have to work as hard to dig as deep. In addition
the
> >consensus seemed to be that tomato diseases are mostly airborn
(primarily
> >wilt) or a problem with inconsistent watering, so rotating them would
not
> >benefit the tomatoes.
>
>         Here in the Atlanta area (zone 7b) we have every sort of tomato
> disease.  A botanist told me that wilts remain in the soil as long as
they
> have a food source (i.e. the tomato plants).  The only way to reliably
> remove them is to take the food source away.  During the off-season,
their
> numbers dwindle, but there are enough present that when the new season
> begins, they come back with a vengeance.  After about 3 years, they
> completely die off.  So tell me more!  I really don't have enough space
to
> rotate my tomatoes on a 3-year basis.
>
Vivian,

        I have planted tomatoes in the same place for several years in a row.  As
long as the plants do not exhibit any sign of a disease, they should be
fine.  Since I raise my own seedlings, I don't run the risk of importing it
from a nursery or someone elses soil.  Tomatoes release a chemical in the
soil (solanens (sp?)) which builds from year to year.  This chemical is
said to help succeeding generations of tomatoes grow.  I have made a quick
look for the book I read this in and cannot find it at present.  If I can
pinpoint the information source, I will post it.

Cliff Parker
Bangor, ME
zone 5a
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