Succession Planting for a Longer Harvest

Succession Planting for a Longer Harvest

Succession planting is one of the easiest ways to make a small garden produce much more food.

Instead of planting everything once, you plant in waves.

What Is Succession Planting?

Succession planting can mean several different things.

Staggered Planting

Plant the same crop every few weeks.

Examples:

• Bush beans
• Radishes
• Lettuce
• Cucumbers

Replace One Crop With Another

When one crop finishes, remove it and plant something else.

Example:

1. Spring lettuce
2. Summer beans
3. Fall radishes

Grow Varieties With Different Maturity Dates

Plant early, midseason, and late varieties so harvest does not happen all at once.

Best Crops for Succession Planting

Good choices include:

• Bush beans
• Radishes
• Lettuce
• Spinach
• Carrots
• Cucumbers
• Squash
• Sweet corn
• Beets
• Turnips

Why It Works So Well in Alabama

Alabama has a long growing season.

A bed does not need to sit empty after one crop finishes.

A single garden space can produce:

• Cool-season vegetables
• Warm-season vegetables
• Fall vegetables

in the same calendar year.

Example Bed

February

Plant radishes and lettuce.

April

Harvest spring crops and plant bush beans.

July

Remove declining beans and add compost.

August

Plant carrots, turnips, or greens.

That one bed has now produced three crops.

Stagger Planting Dates

Instead of planting 30 feet of beans on one day:

• Plant 10 feet today.
• Plant another 10 feet in two weeks.
• Plant the last section two weeks later.

Now your harvest comes in waves.

Check Days to Maturity

Before planting a late crop, count backward from your expected frost period.

A 70-day crop planted too late may never mature.

Add extra time because plants grow more slowly as days shorten.

Replenish the Soil

Multiple crops remove nutrients.

Between plantings:

• Remove spent plants.
• Add compost.
• Test soil when needed.
• Fertilize based on crop needs.
• Repair irrigation.

Don’t Force a Crop Outside Its Season

Succession planting does not mean planting lettuce every month of the year.

Choose crops suited to current temperatures.

Keep Records

Write down:

• Planting date
• Variety
• Harvest start
• Harvest end

Within a couple of years, you’ll know exactly how long each planting occupies your beds.

GardenGrowz Tip

Think of each garden bed as valuable real estate. When one tenant moves out, have the next one ready.