Do you do succession planting in your garden? If not, it is totally worth the bit of extra planning. Succession planting is basically staggering your plantings so that you get a continuous harvest of a particular fruit/veggie, rather than all at once and then you’re done. It’s also a great way to fill those spots that previously harvested food left behind {i.e. in the transition from early spring crops to summer crops}.
When it comes to getting a continuous harvest from a particular type of veggie/fruit, certain plants work better than others. Here’s a basic guide on succession planting for a continual harvest:
Green Beans – Plant every 10 days
Beets – Plant every 14 days
Cucumbers – Plants every 3 weeks
Kale/Colloards – Plant every 3 weeks
Lettuce – Plant every 10-14 days {this is my favorite thing for succession planting. It’s impossible to eat it all at once, so having different types of lettuce that will produce every couple of weeks is perfect}.
Melons – Plant every 3 weeks
Radish – Plant every 7 days
Spinach – Plant every 7 days
Summer Squash – plant every 6 weeks
Sweet Corn – Plant every 10 days
Carrots – Plant every 2-3 weeks {as weather allows, stop when it gets too hot and resume in late summer/early fall}
Cauliflower – Plant every 2 weeks {as weather allows, stop when it gets too hot and resume again in late summer/early fall}
Turnips – Plant every 7 Days
If you decide to try square foot gardening, succession planting is an awesome way to make sure you get the most out of your space.
What are your favorite crops to stagger planting? How do you space them?
~Mavis
Vegetable Gardening: From Planting to Picking
Madam Chow says
Very helpful – thanks for posting this.
Tammy says
This is exactly what we do, it really helps since I have a disability and have to pace myself. Thanks for the list of what / when to plant, It’s very helpful.
Courtney says
Ok silly question, you are talking about seeds right? How many seeds do you plant in the garden verses in the green house. I don’t have a green house and have had pretty good success just planting seeds in the ground. But haven’t done succession planting.
cptacek says
Oh my gosh, this is so helpful. I am freaking myself out because I doubled the garden plot this year, and I don’t know if I can handle all the produce coming in at the same time. I am doing this now!
Ben B says
Peas are another great one for succession planting! I planted new peas every two weeks, and my one-year-old loved going outside and picking a pod off the plant just about every day this spring and summer and eating it right there. It helps that they’re snap peas, meant to be eaten whole.