What is Succession Planting?

Succession planting is a gardening technique all about maximizing your harvest throughout the growing season, especially in a small space. Here’s the rundown on succession planting:

• The core idea: Instead of planting everything at once, you plant crops in succession, meaning you sow new seeds or seedlings every few weeks. This way, you have a continuous harvest instead of a glut of one crop all at once.
• Making space: There are two main ways to use succession planting in small spaces. You can plant fast-maturing crops alongside slower-growing ones. Once you harvest the fast-growing vegetables, you’ll have space for the slower-growing ones to fill out. Alternatively, you can plant smaller amounts of the same crop every few weeks, so you have a constant supply throughout the season.
• Extending the season: Succession planting allows you to take advantage of different seasons. You can plant cool-season crops like lettuce and spinach early in the spring, then replace them with warm-season crops like tomatoes and peppers as the weather heats up. In fall, you can plant cool-season crops again for a late harvest.
• Planning is key: To succeed with succession planting, a little planning goes a long way. Research the maturity dates of your chosen vegetables and plan your plantings accordingly. There are also resources available online and in gardening books that provide succession planting charts specific to your region.

Succession Planting Example

A full succession planting schedule depends on your specific location and climate, but here’s a general guideline to get you started:

Early Spring (planting up to 8 weeks before the first frost)

• Cool-season crops: Arugula, beets, broccoli, cabbage (starts), carrots, collards (starts), kale, kohlrabi, lettuce (various), spinach, turnips, radishes

Mid-Spring (planting up to 6 weeks before the first frost)

• Cool-season crops (continued): Beets, lettuce (warm-season varieties), spinach, radishes
• Warm-season crops: Basil (seeds or starts), beans (bush), corn (starts), cucumbers (depending on climate), summer squash

Late Spring/Early Summer (May-July)

• Warm-season crops (continued): Basil, beans (bush), corn, cucumbers, summer squash, tomatoes (determinate)
• Herbs: Cilantro, dill

Late Summer/Early Fall (planting 8 weeks before first frost)

• Cool-season crops: Arugula, beets, kale, lettuce (various), spinach, turnips

Additional Tips:

• Use this as a guide and adjust based on your local planting zones and frost dates. You can find your zone by searching online for “USDA Planting Zone finder: https://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/)”.
• Consider planting varieties with different maturity dates within the same crop for a staggered harvest.
• Look into season extension techniques like row covers to protect young plants from frost or extend the harvest in the fall.

Let’s imagine you love lettuce. You can use succession planting to enjoy fresh lettuce throughout the season. Here’s how:

• Early spring: Plant a row of cool-season lettuce varieties like romaine or red leaf lettuce.
• Mid-spring: As you harvest the first lettuce planting, sow seeds for another cool-season variety in the same spot.
• Late summer/early fall: When the weather gets warmer, switch to heat-tolerant lettuce varieties like butter lettuce or romaine again.

This way, you’ll have a continuous supply of lettuce instead of one giant harvest that you might not be able to eat before it spoils.

Remember, this is just a starting point!

More Posts you May be Interested In:

1. How to Germinate Petunia Seeds
2. Best Potting Soil for Peppers
3. Growing Swiss Chard from Seed to Harvest

Happy Gardening!