I don't do anything that remotely resembles true crop rotation and I never have, and I haven't had any trouble. It can be really hard for home gardeners to rotate crops anyhow, due to there being limited space. I used to try to move crops around more than I do now, but I found I'd rather leave tomato plants or corn or peppers in an area where they grow well. I do add lots of compost and other forms of organic matter and I think that makes a difference. One reason to rotate would be so the same macronutrients and micronutrients aren't continually used up (say, by planting a heavy giver crop in a bed one year and then a heavy feeder in that bed the next year), but if you continue enriching your soil every year, you're making up for what the previous year's crop took out of it. And, keep in mind, that I haven't ever had the kinds of diseases that reside in the soil to an extent that they become a problem. If I had an ongoing problem with something like fusarium wilt in my garden soil, I expect I'd have to try to rotate crops properly. As long as you replenish the nutrients that are used up by the crops every year and as long as you don't see a trend of having the same problem in the same place every year, I suspect you can grow forever without really rotating---at least in our climate. Soil-dwelling pests that overwinter in the soil could be another good reason to rotate so you're moving something like squash from the place where it grew last year to a new spot so you aren't planting right into an area where squash bugs might be overwintering. Realistically speaking, though, if squash bugs are anywhere near your garden, they're going to find the squash plants even if you move them to a different bed every year.

azkayla, Crop rotation can help prevent diseases - the most-cited reason for it, but also helps condition soil. The constant addition of compost does a lot for returning organic matter to the soil in a SFG, but some nutrients in compost are not as easily broken down, and some are broken down better by specific plants. BER, as you indicate, is caused by a lack of uptake of calcium, sometimes because of inadequate watering, sometimes because of depleted calcium, and sometimes because the calcium present is not available to the root system because it is not broken down or is in the presence or absence of specific nutrients. Although I haven't studied the specific mechanics involved in detail, I do know that different species of plant act as dynamic accumulators for different micronutrients. The crop rotation cycle of solanum, root crop, legume exposes the organic material to many different types of dynamic accumulation, and could (I say probably does) serve to condition the soil in many different ways, adding to soil nutrient availability. The presence of mycorrhizal fungi also play a role in proper nutrient uptake. That being said, how I do crop rotation in my tomato beds (I've only got a single place that works for toms, too) is toms all summer, then a carrot or other root planting in autumn. In spring, peas go in as soon as the ground is workable, and by the time toms need the trellis, the peas are dying back. I don't know if this is truly helpful, but I don't think it hurts! (See my other post on myccorhyzal fungi, maybe there will be interesting conversations there!)

should I account for a crop rotation? Sure if you have the room. Most who used raised beds don't so can't rotate. I don't rotate in my raised beds and never have. But then I don't have a problem with the wilts. IF Fusarium or Verticillium wilt is an accurate diagnosis, and that's a big IF IMO, then using only the resistant varieties may be your only option. Or consider one of the systemic fungicides. Simple annual rotation won't provide any effective control for the wilts. Amending the soil beds with a 1:3 mixture of high quality compost has proven to be beneficial as the compost contains bacteria that can help control the soil-borne causal fungi. Another good mix is the 5:1:1 recipe discussed on the Container Gardening and Sq. Foot gardening forums. It contains no soil - no dirt - so fungus problems are minimal. Hope this helps. Dave Here is a link that might be useful: Univ. Conn. IPM : Tomato Wilts

I agree with rj - rotation just isn't applicable if you are using Sq. Foot gardening. One of the underlying principles of that approach is that it eliminates the need for rotation - if indeed there is one. And as others have already pointed out, while it may play a role in large farm or commercial production, it doesn't in the home garden for most simply because the average home garden isn't large enough. There are indeed many discussions on this issue over on the Soil & Compost forum as well as the Vegetable Gardening forum that a search will pull up if you will search 'crop rotation'. And the consistent recommendation is annual (or more often) additions of good compost. The beneficial fungi and bacteria in quality compost have been proven time and time again to be most effective at controlling, and even eliminating pathogens in the soil. You, in effect rotate the soil, not the plants. Since SQ. Foot gardens (which do have a forum here so check out this discussion on it from that forum) are composed of 1/3 compost of high quality and peat and not dirt (assuming they are true SQ. Ft.) rotation is a non-issue according to Mel. Dave Here is a link that might be useful: Crop rotation discussions