Do you have limited space for gardening? Did you know that successive sowing is the most important tool for maximizing your garden space? Succession planting is the process of following one crop with another.

Grow an abundant fall vegetable garden by sowing hardy vegetables such as lettuce, beets, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, peas and radishes.

To achieve continuous harvest, try one of these four methods of succession planting:

1. Stagger sowing dates of the same vegetable. 

   Also known as relay planting, this occurs when several smaller plantings are conducted at different dates rather than all at once. This establishes a continuous harvest over an extended period of time, which is beneficial for smaller gardens. Often many vegetables wither after producing their first, heavy crop, and only continue to produce smaller and smaller crops.

   Rather than planting your entire crop of beans or herbs, such as cilantro, all at once, plant a small amount at the beginning of the season. Remove plants once they are spent and replant the area with the same vegetable. This allows for continuous harvest. 

2. Sow two varieties of the same vegetable, with different days to maturity. 

   Days to maturity is commonly referred to or mentioned on seed packets. This means the number of days, under optimal conditions, until you can harvest this crop once the seedling has emerged.

   This method of succession planting is particularly useful for crops that are harvested once. Vegetables to sow with different maturity dates include broccoli, Brussel sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, corn, peas and tomatoes. 

3. Plant different vegetables in succession. 

   This is also referred to as sequence planting. Some vegetables and herbs, such as peas or garlic, have very short growing periods. The space they once used, can be planted with a later season crop, such as eggplant. 

4. Pair different vegetables in one space. 

   The key to pairing different vegetables in one space is ensuring they have different dates to maturity. One crop, with the earlier date to maturity, will be harvested first. The second crop will then be allowed room to grow and mature, before it is eventually harvested. This is the most beneficial for getting the most productivity out of a small garden. 

Tips for Success

Your garden is working hard! Reward it with abundant nutrients by adding a layer of compost between plantings. For more information on the benefits of composting, read our blog. 

Knowing whether or not your vegetables are a cool season or warm season crop is essential, as well. Cooler season crops prefer cooler season and warmer season crops germinate best in warm soil. Understanding the temperature your vegetables prefer, helps determine when to sow the plants.