
The Art of Intercropping and Succession Planting
Gardening with limited space often feels like a puzzling challenge to fit all the crops we dream of growing. Techniques such as intercropping and succession planting can unlock hidden space and transform your garden into a highly productive area. Here’s a step-by-step guide to mastering these strategies and fitting more plants into your plot than you ever thought possible.
Mapping Out the Garden: The Essential Tools
Before diving into the techniques, preparation is key. Multiple blank copies of your garden map or spreadsheet are essential tools. Start by making a comprehensive wish list of the plants you desire to grow, regardless of space constraints. Couple this with a calculated list of the number of plants or seeds necessary to achieve your harvest goals (use this chart to plan by yield per plant). A plant spacing chart will serve as a crucial reference point, aiding in the estimation of space each crop requires.
Understanding Cool and Warm Season Crops
To kick off the garden planning process, differentiate between cool and warm season crops. Cool season crops thrive in lower temperatures and typically include leafy greens, root vegetables, and brassicas like broccoli and kale. Warm season crops, on the other hand, need warmer soil and air temperatures to flourish, such as tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers.
Begin by drafting separate lists for your cool and warm season crops, noting the calculated numbers and spacing for each. When planning your cool season crops, remember this is not strictly calendar-based but rather flexible depending on your climate. Once your lists are prepared, use a garden map to plot where each crop will be planted, keeping in mind optimal plant arrangements and necessary light conditions.

The Magic of Succession Planting
Succession planting is your secret weapon for extending your harvest and maximizing garden space. It involves planting crops in intervals or replacing one crop with another to yield multiple harvests through the growing season. Cool season crops can often benefit from split successions, taking advantage of both spring and fall planting windows to boost overall yield. Similarly, warm season crops like zucchini and beans can be planted successively to ensure a continuous harvest.
Evaluate the timelines for each crop and decide how they might fit within your growing season. By staggering plantings or planning for multiple harvests, you can ensure fresh produce throughout the entire growing period.
High, Low, Fast, Slow: The Interplanting Mantra
Interplanting is another advanced gardening technique that allows for space optimization by pairing compatible plants together. The mantra ‘high, low, fast, slow’ serves as a basic guide: match tall, sun-loving plants with shorter, shade-tolerant ones, and combine fast-maturing plants with slow-growing companions.
For example, tall sugar snap peas can be paired with low-growing spinach, providing mutual benefits such as reduced weed growth and enhanced nutrition. Your garden space is a valuable resource; these complementary plant pairings allow for the maximum use of available space without compromising on crop yield.
Combining Maps for Seamless Seasonal Transitions
The final step in this planning process is to overlap your cool and warm season maps, identifying potential interplanting and succession opportunities. Understand the growing timelines and harvest periods so you can more seamlessly transition between seasons, ensuring constant garden productivity. I have a chart with the average days to maturity for many common garden crops to help you with this: https://justgrowsomethingpodcast.com/maturity
For instance, overlay the planting of heat-loving vegetables with the conclusion of cool season plantings to prevent idle garden space. Consider interplanting long-standing crops with quick-growers like radishes or lettuce to fully utilize beds and extend the harvest period.
Strategic Garden Planning for Year-Round Abundance
Gardening is part science, part art, and a whole lot of patience and creativity. By using this structured approach to intercropping and succession planting, you can transform your garden into a thriving, abundant space that produces throughout the year. Get your maps ready, prepare your lists, and embrace these techniques to cultivate a lush garden filled with the variety and bounty you’ve always envisioned.
Need More Help?
Listen to this episode of the Just Grow Something podcast: https://justgrowsomethingpodcast.com/episode/getting-more-from-the-garden-succession-planting-and-intercropping-ep-233
Check out my Plan Like a Pro garden planning course for step-by-step actionable steps to plan your best garden year after year: Plan Like a Pro Garden Planning Course
Your Friend in the Garden,
