All You Need To Known About Succession Planting
Succession planting is an important part of gardening if you want to utilize your space to get as much food as possible. You can avoid situations where the whole crop comes in at once and you will have an ongoing supply of veg throughout the season. It is nice to have a steady supply ready for harvest over a long period and this reduces the risk of crop failure by having another crop ready to come in.
Here is a sample of some crops that I have successfully succession planted:
Cucumbers: Every three weeks. I like this so i can have fresh cucumbers and have lots to make into pickles
Kale: Every three weeks. Kale is prolific. As long as you are trimming it, it will continue to grow. It is nice however to have some fresh baby kale throughout the season.
Beets: Every two weeks. Mmm beets and beet greens!
Green Beans: Every ten days.
Melons: Every three weeks
Sweet Corn: Every ten days. There is nothing like fresh organic corn in the summer time!
Radish: Every week.
Spinach: Every week. When I have a surplus of spinach I like to blanch and freeze it for the winter months.
Carrots, Cabbage, Cauliflower, and Broccoli: Twice a season. This way you can have a summer crop and some in the fall to store for winter.
Basil: Every two weeks. A nice way to store extra herbs are in ice cube trays with olive oil… Freeze and re thaw when needed.
Tomatoes, and Peppers: Can be planted a couple of times as well if you have the space.
Replacing crops that have finished producing with a new crop in the same place is another way to succession plant. Just be sure that you are planting something that works well for the time of year you are planting. For example, plant peas in the spring then cucumber in the summer and Kale in the fall. This way you will get a wider variety of veg in the same amount of space and your vibrant garden will never be empty throughout the growing season. By varying the types of veg that you grow in each succession you will be preventing the depletion of some nutrients. Crop rotation is important so that you are nourishing the soil which will in turn give you higher yields. Also make sure to feed your soil in between planting to keep production high. I like to add a bit of compost to my soil in between and or sometimes watering it with some compost tea.
I use my Google Calendar to keep track of when I need to plant my next crop… Any calendar or journal will work as well for you to keep track of yours. I like to keep a journal of where i am planting what as well, so that I can utilize succession planting from year to year to ensure good crop rotation!