I'm assuming that you are rotating your crops annually so the crop before can help feed the crop after, and not leave behind a soil deficiency.
How does crop rotation affect the soil?
Each crop has different fertilizer requirements. By changing the location of your crops you can avoid the risk of depleting the soil of specific nutrients. Some crops will actually add essential elements to the soil. By using crop rotation, you can actually build up the soil over the years.
How do I do this?
It’s easy! Plants are often grouped by families that share similar growth habits and cultural requirements. By knowing your plant families (and their garden companions) you can create a plan for your own garden rotation. The following example divides the garden into four sections. As you can see, each year, the vegetable groups are planted in a different section of the garden.
There are a few simple rules for crop rotation:
• Don’t follow tomato, peppers or eggplant with potatoes, or each other.
• Allow 3 years before replanting the same group in any given bed.
• Onions may be planted throughout all groups.
• Beets, carrots and radishes may be planted among any group, and replanted as early crops are removed.
• Don’t forget to interplant with companion plants to minimize pesticide use. See the Companion Plants handout for some ideas on this practice.
• Keep good notes so you can duplicate successes.
Another interesting idea-“Green Manure”
To help build organic matter, you might also consider using a “green manure” sometimes called a cover crop. There are both summer and winter cover crops. Buckwheat makes a great summer cover, and would be used in conjunction with your garden rotation plan. Cereal rye is a good choice for fall planting. Sow it after your fall garden cleanup and then till it under in the spring. By adding organic matter in this way, you will increase aeration and water holding capacity of your soil, prevent weed growth and soil erosion, and support the beneficial organisms necessary for a healthy, living soil.
Year 1
Nightshades
Peppers,
Tomato
Eggplant
Potato
Greens
Cauliflower
Cabbage,
Broccoli
Lettuces
Legumes
Peas
Beans
Pole beans
Squash /Corn
Cucumbers
Squash
Corn
Pumpkins
Year 2
Squash /Corn
Cucumbers
Squash,
Corn
Pumpkins
Nightshades
Peppers,
Tomato
Eggplant, Potato
Greens
Cauliflower
Cabbage,
Broccoli
Lettuces
Legumes
Peas
Beans
Pole beans
Year 3
Legumes
Peas
Beans
Pole beans
Squash /Corn
Cucumbers
Squash
Corn
Pumpkins
Nightshades
Peppers
Tomato
Eggplant
Potato
Greens
Cauliflower
Cabbage,
Broccoli
Lettuces
Year 4
Greens
Cauliflower
Cabbage,
Broccoli
Lettuces
Legumes
Peas
Beans
Pole beans
Squash /Corn
Cucumbers
Squash
Corn
Pumpkins
Nightshades
Peppers
Tomato
Eggplant
Potato
Also, was the soil ball root bound, did you mix the proper fertilizer into the soil before you planted (1-1-1) and follow it up every two weeks with another top feeding. Did you prune out the central leader to make the plant bush out?