Planning reference

Crop Rotation vs Companion Planting

Use plant-family rotation records, source evidence, pest pressure, cover crops, pollinator habitat, and bed maps before mixing companion planting claims into a crop plan.

Planning reference

Crop Rotation vs Companion Planting cockpit

Treat crop rotation as the first filter for bed history. Companion planting can support habitat, timing, and space use, but it should not override same-family repeat risk.

Rotation records prevent same-family repeats; companion ideas stay evidence-labeled support.
  1. 1 Rotation record Previous family records prevent avoidable pest and disease repeats.
  2. 2 Companion support Companion ideas stay labeled as habitat, timing, or limited examples.
  3. 3 Layout action Bed map, cover crop, and pollinator rows decide what fits.
Families
21catalog family groups
Same-family warnings
5nightshade repeats to avoid in sample bed
Bed break crops
11cover crop options
Pollinator entries
49habitat support entries

What each planning lane controls

Crop rotation
Crop rotation uses plant-family history across seasons so same-family crops are not repeatedly assigned to the same bed when avoidable.
Companion planting
Companion planting places crops, herbs, flowers, or cover crops together for space sharing, pollinator support, habitat, or limited research-backed examples.
Plant family
Plant family is the first rotation check because related crops often share pest, disease, and nutrient-pressure patterns.
Evidence label
Evidence label separates extension guidance and research-supported examples from lower-certainty companion chart claims.
Same-family repeat
Same-family repeat warnings matter more than a companion match when the previous crop and the next crop are closely related.

Decision workflow

Start with rotation
Do not use companion lists as a substitute for rotating plant families; check family history, pest pressure, source evidence, and bed map constraints first.
Use companions as support
Use flowers, herbs, quick crops, and cover crops to improve habitat, timing, space use, or soil cover without treating them as guaranteed pest control.
Label weak claims
Avoid universal compatible/incompatible charts unless the claim has extension guidance, crop-specific research, or a practical site reason behind it.
Map the bed
Place crop families, cover crops, pollinator rows, paths, and harvest timing on a map before mixing plants in tight beds.
Recheck each season
Update the previous-family record after harvest so the next crop plan does not accidentally repeat the same family under a companion-planting label.

Use these paths

Source basis