Do you find yourself harvesting large amounts of any given vegetable from your garden all at once? There is a solution! The practice of succession planting, or planting in segments over a period of time, allows you to harvest root vegetables, leafy greens, brassica vegetables, and more for fresh use throughout the season. By sowing a few carrots, radishes, broccoli, etc., over several days to weeks, you can enjoy a fresh harvest over the course of the growing season. Don’t let yourself feel like every inch of the garden needs to be planted the second your last frost date arrives. Gardening is a season-long adventure. Enjoy the entire process of planting, harvesting, and tending to your garden throughout the growing months.

Plan Ahead

The key to harvesting your favorite vegetables all season long is to plan ahead. Consider the weekly rate you typically consume any given vegetable. This will be the key measure you use to determine how much needs to be planted to meet your demand. Also consider how much you want to store. If you like to enjoy your preserved harvest throughout the winter season, consider planning for a fall garden of cool-season vegetables specifically for freezing, canning, dehydrating, etc.

What is Succession Planting?

Succession planting is the process of planting small crops of vegetables that are typically harvested as whole plants, or that can only be harvested a couple of times. These small crops are repeatedly planted 1-3 weeks apart for a continual harvest throughout the season. While plants like cucumbers will produce over the entire season, a carrot can only be harvested once. Succession planting also helps you to make the most productive use of your gardening space. After one crop is harvested, another can be planted in its place. Below, you can find some of the best crops for succession planting.

Crops For Succession Planting

• Arugula
• Bok Choy/Pak Choi
• Carrots
• Green Onions
• Lettuce
• Peas
• Spinach
• Turnips

• Beets
• Bush Beans
• Cilantro
• Kale
• Mustard Greens
• Radish
• Swiss Chard

Expand Your Available Space With Containers

If you would like to try succession planting but find yourself with less growing space than you would like, utilize containers to expand your available growing area. Raised Beds and vertical planters are a great way to expand your garden to patio and balcony spaces. For a constant harvest of herbs and leafy greens, we recommend using the Bloom Master Hanging Baskets, Boxes, and Stacker containers. Short carrots, radishes, green onions, leafy greens, and herbs can also be grown easily in our raised bed.

Enjoy your best garden yet by planting strategically and immersing yourself in the garden from spring to fall. Spending a few minutes in your garden each day will bring a renewed appreciation for nature, growing your own food, and witnessing the grand complexity of our ecosystem. Let's get planting!