Minimize pest problems by rotating crops in your vegetable garden

As you begin your vegetable garden, rotate the crops to control pest problems. This is the easiest way to practice organic gardening that minimizes pesticide use. Disease pathogens and insect eggs may be left in the soil from last year. But since many insects and diseases tend only to attack vegetables within the same plant family, planting vegetables from a different family in a problem area can minimize the chances for a repeat infection.

The basic families include the cabbage family (broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, radishes and turnips); the cucumber family (gourds, melons, squashes and cucumbers); the nightshade family (eggplant, potatoes, tomatoes and peppers); the goosefoot family (spinach and beets); the onion family (leeks, garlic and onions); the legume family (all peas and beans); and the carrot, celery and parsnip group.

In spring, when the grass is growing rapidly, you will need to mow often. Use a mulching mower that leaves the grass clippings behind. This means less work for you and it recycles those extra nutrients back to your grass.

Do not let the grass become overgrown; mulching mowers, in particular, do not work well in tall, wet grass. Rake out any wet clumps of grass that remain on the lawn.

At the same time, do not cut the grass too short. Mow grass at 2½ to 3½ inches in height, and frequently enough so that not more than one-third of the grass blades' total height is cut each time. Maintaining lawns at a taller height promotes a strong root system and helps choke out weeds. In hot weather, short lawns can turn brown more quickly and weeds are more likely to move in.

Keep the blades on your mower sharpened for a better cut. A good general rule is to sharpen them after every eight hours of use.

• Tim Johnson is director of horticulture at Chicago Botanic Garden, chicagobotanic.org.