If you’ve ever felt like you spend time getting your garden planted, and then you harvest and have nothing going in between, consider thinking about succession (or successive) planting!
Don’t let the name make you think it’s complicated. Succession planting is staggering your planting, so you have plants in different stages of growth, and harvest, which extends the harvest season.
What’s An Example of Succession Planting?
Plants with longer growing cycles means you can plant a row of say, beans or peas, then two weeks later, plant another row. And two weeks after plant another row.. This means you’ll be harvesting for an extended period of time and a new crop will continuously be ready for you.
What Plants Do Well for Succession Planting?
Some vegetables that lend themselves well to succession plantings include: arugula, basil, beans (pole), beets, broccoli raab, carrots, chicory, cilantro, corn salad (mache), dill, endive, green onions, kale, kohlrabi, lettuce, mizuna, mustard, bok choi, radish, rutabaga, spinach, swiss chard, tatsoi, and turnips.
Same Vegetable, Different Maturity Rates
Another thing we recommend, that works under this same mindset of extending your harvest, is to plant a few different varieties of the same type of vegetable. For instance, plant two types of peaches instead of two of the same tree.
Not only is this about variety, but when the trees fruit and ripen, they will be on different schedules. This means a spread-out harvest. This same idea can extend to different types of tomatoes, beans, carrots, eggplant, melons, peas, summer squash, corn and leafy greens like kale and collards.
How is Succession Planting Different in San Diego?
In Southern California and San Diego, Succession Planning can take in inconsideration our sudden changes in temperatures, particularly as seasons transition. We can have very warm winters, or very cold springs, longer-than-usual summers are also something to be aware of.
We only release our on-site grown plants when they are ready to be planted and the weather allows, so you can ensure that if it’s on our plant benches, it’s ready to be planted. Sometimes big-box stores have to move product regardless of weather (with plants grown off-site that have to bend to shipping and inventory guidelines, not nature’s seasons). So you’ll see tomatoes for sale in off seasons, which quite often have a less likelihood of success.
Answers for Gardening Questions
We’re here to help with answering your gardening questions about the timing of planting and how to ensure what you plant has the best chance of happy outcomes: tasty, the least waste of resources, and the best outcomes for our bodies and our planet.
Please feel free to come into our local nursery and find one of our helpful team members to advise you on growing, pest control, soil, and watering questions. We’re open Weds-Sun 9a-5p at 3110 Euclid Ave. San Diego, CA 92105.
