The term “succession planting” covers a variety of methods to choose from, all of which allow the garden to produce more crops and for longer. No matter how small or big your garden is, succession planting will allow you to harvest it all season long, which is much easier to deal with than the traditional one big crop that can lead to surplus and waste. It will extend the growing season into late fall, and even perhaps early winter.
It also results in fewer weeds and less weeding, is easier on the soil because it depletes the nutrients less rapidly, and it gives you a backup plan. If for some reason you lose the first or second crop, you have the third coming behind it.
A Staggering Thought
The Stagger Method is what keeps most local growers keeping their roadside fruit and vegetable stands full of the same produce types week after week. The idea is simple: Plant the same crop every few weeks to ensure a continuous crop throughout the season.Fast growers such as radishes, carrots, beets, beans, peas, cucumbers, summer squash, lettuce, Swiss chard, spinach, and other greens work well. The key here is to have the second and third sets of seedlings timed so that they’ll be ready to go in the ground as the original plant fades. The necessary time to sprout/time to harvest infomation can be found on the back of every seed packet, or you can take a shortcut and go to Johnny’s Selected Seeds’ Interval Charts for Vegetables at JohnnySeeds.com, which provides general guidelines for succession-planting vegetable crops at intervals of seven days, 10 days, 14 days, 21 days, and 30 days.
The Relay Method replaces crops as the season progresses. For example, plant early spring peas in the cool temperatures of spring, then replace them with beans in the hot heat of summer. Chai Phakdee/Shutterstock
Taking Turns
The Relay Method, sometimes referred to as Harvest and Sow, takes the above idea a step further. Instead of planting the same crop again in the same space, the original vegetable (let’s call it Crop A) is replaced with a different variety (Crop B). Some people get a jump on the second harvest by planting Crop B beneath or next to Crop A when A is being harvested. Then, when Crop A is removed or turned under into the soil, Crop B can take over.To maximize things further, Crop C can follow, and even Crop D, as long as the season allows. A good example is planting early spring peas that do well in the cool temperatures of spring, then following it with beans that will tolerate the hot heat of summer, all on the same trellis. Though crop rotation depletes soil nutrients at a relatively slow pace, it’s best to add some compost to the soil before each new planting.
Plant Buddies
Like human relationships, Companion Planting, or intercropping, allows different varieties to bring their strengths to the relationship. It’s a good thing to do even if you’re not doing succession planting. As an example, some people swear by planting garlic at the base of fruit trees to help keep boring insects away. A more common grouping is tomatoes with basil and onions, which helps keep common tomato pests away, plus the basil actually makes the tomatoes tastier. Bush beans, radishes, thyme, lettuce, and mustard greens are just a few other plants beneficial to tomatoes, and which can be planted, harvested, and replanted multiple times during the long tomato season.But be aware that some plants are most definitely not compatible. Cabbage, sweet corn, and fennel, as well as eggplant, hot peppers, and potatoes—all members of the nightshade family—inhibit tomato plant growth and increase its susceptibility to pests and disease. When it comes to putting two or more plants together, the internet is your new best friend. It’s filled with a wealth of companion plant lists for every variety out there, so check it before you put two plants together.
Want to add a dash of color to your garden? Plant marigolds; they help keep nematodes and a long list of other garden pests away. They get along happily with most fruits and vegetables and, as a bonus, the flowers are edible and can be added to salad.
Some plants have symbiotic relationships and benefit from growing next to each other, such as tomatoes with basil and onions.thoughtsofjoyce/Shutterstock
Seasonal Assortments
Many crops offer early-, mid-, and late-season varietals, extending the season for each crop type. In fact, you should be considering different varietals throughout the planting process. Growing several types of tomatoes, beans, and lettuce adds diversity to your crops; if this is your first year, this is also a great way to find out which grows best in your area.Some cold-tolerant varieties—including cabbage, broccoli, endive, cauliflower, head lettuce, potatoes, radishes, onions, peas, spinach, turnips, and beets—can be planted as early as March in many areas. Lima beans, cucumbers, eggplant, peppers, sweet corn, squash, and tomatoes extend the season in the other direction, as they can still be harvested through October (November is some areas), along with slow-growing winter squash and pumpkins. Other second-round crops for a fall harvest include cabbages, carrots, beets, broccoli, cauliflower, lettuce, radishes, spinach, and turnips. Bon appétit!
