Hi Gardening and Wellness Friends 👋🏼
We began the Winter Gardening Cohort last month. We cleared our beds, amended and got our plants in the ground. One of the things we’ve learned is how and why to succession plant. Succession planting is staggering plantings so we can continuously harvest over the season. Planting every 1-3 weeks will give us consistent harvests throughout the season. This is a great strategy to provide consistent harvests rather than one bulk harvest during the season. Depending on the crop, some are better to succession plant every week, every 2 weeks or every 3 weeks. To succession plant every week it’s best to plant radishes, arugula, cilantro and dill. To succession every other week it’s best to plant sugar snap peas and lettuces like romain, butterhead, spinach and bok choy. To succession plant every 3 weeks plant these plants carrots, beets, and kale/swiss chard.
This method is ideal for all gardens, but especially important for those growing in a limited space. Succession supports crops being harvested and then replanted straight after harvest. This allows a small space the ability to produce double, sometimes triple the amount of a - plant once at the beginning of the season type of garden.
Succession planting also protects against sudden pest invasions. If the first crop is destroyed by pests, there will still be other successions to produce. Rather than having a total loss if infestation occurs, there is still another try with succession.
Tell me, have you ever succession planted? And if you have what is your favorite plant to succession plant?
Until next time…..
🌿To our health and the health of our gardens🌿
Tina