Plant family

Kale belongs to the brassica family (also called the cabbage or mustard family), along with broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, collards, kohlrabi, turnips, radishes, arugula, and mustard greens. All of these relatives host the same pests and soilborne diseases, so for rotation purposes you should treat them as one group.

Why rotate kale

When kale or its brassica relatives grow in the same spot year after year, soilborne troubles accumulate. Clubroot, a fungus-like disease that deforms the roots, can persist in the soil for many years once established, and black rot bacteria also linger in old brassica debris. Pests such as cabbage root maggots, flea beetles, and cabbage aphids overwinter near their favorite host plants, and because kale is a nitrogen-hungry crop, repeated planting steadily drains that nutrient from the bed.

What to plant after

Kale does well following a legume crop such as peas or bush beans. Legumes fix nitrogen from the air and leave the soil richer, which suits a heavy feeder like kale and gives it a strong start. Following a legume also breaks the pest and disease cycle, since peas and beans host none of the brassica problems.

What to avoid

Avoid planting kale right before or after any other brassica, including broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, collards, turnips, radishes, or mustard greens. Growing these relatives back to back lets clubroot, black rot, and cabbage-family insects carry straight over from one crop to the next. Give the whole family a rest from any bed for at least three years before brassicas return.

Example rotation

A simple four-year plan for one bed could run like this. Year one, grow peas or beans (legumes) to build nitrogen. Year two, plant kale and any other brassicas in that enriched soil. Year three, switch to a fruiting crop such as tomatoes or squash. Year four, grow root crops like carrots or beets, then start the cycle over. This keeps kale off the same ground for four seasons.

Tips

Keep a simple garden map or notebook each year so you always know which bed last held a brassica, and wait at least three years before kale or its relatives return to that spot. Grouping crops by plant family in the same bed makes rotation easier to track, and sowing a cover crop such as clover or vetch in the off season adds organic matter and helps restore nitrogen for the next planting.

General guidance for US home gardens. Adapt to your own crops, soil, and space; your Cooperative Extension office can help with a plan for your area. Page updated Aug 4, 2026.