Whether you're dealing with a four-month growing season or gardening in year-round heat, there's a succession approach that works for your climate. I break down the three types of succession crops, explain how to build a planting calendar that eliminates gaps, and get into relay planting, where you plant your next crop into your current one before it's even finished so there's never a moment of wasted ground.
I've also included a full dos and don'ts list, because a few key mistakes can turn a great succession plan into a depleted bed and a missed season.
In this episode:
* The four types of succession planting and when to use each one
* Rapid, mid-range, and long-season crops and how to succession plant each category
* Why cucumbers, zucchini, and squash practically require succession planting (and exactly how I do it)
* Relay planting: how it works, why it's different from interplanting, and some of my favorite pairs
* Succession strategies by climate: short season, mid-range, and long hot season
* A full dos and don'ts list, including the disease rotation mistake most gardeners don't see coming
This episode pairs with last week's episode on interplanting. Together, they give you a complete system for filling every bed, every season!
Episode References
Episode 43: Succession Planting, Relay Planting, and Interplanting: https://justgrowsomethingpodcast.com/episode/ep-43-succession-planting-relay-planting-and-interplanting-increase-your-garden-yield-without-increasing-your-space
Episode 204: Top Crops to Plant in Succession Throughout the Summer: https://youtu.be/pRVJcQp9oI4?si=HePJ6vndgsi79A_b
Episode 295 (previous): Interplanting Done Right — High, Low, Fast, Slow: https://youtu.be/ikcR9qqomlk?si=WZJThenj4wwbnSMC
Resources
Days to Maturity reference chart: https://justgrowsomethingpodcast.com/maturity
Just Grow Something Garden Planning Workbook: https://justgrowsomething.com/shop
Plan Like a Pro Course: https://justgrowsomething.thinkific.com
Succession Crop Quick Reference
Rapid Succession (plant every 2–3 weeks):
Lettuce, spinach, arugula, radishes, cilantro, green onions, baby bok choy
Mid-Range Succession (plant every 3–4 weeks):
Bush beans, cucumbers, summer squash/zucchini, determinate tomatoes, sweet corn
Split Succession (spring + fall, something else in between):
Carrots, beets, broccoli, snap beans (in hot climates), cucumbers & squash (in hot climates)
Great Relay Planting Pairs:
Spring lettuce → tomatoes → fall lettuce
Garlic/onions → peppers
Bok choy → summer squash
Carrots → sweet corn → carrots
Peas → beans or cucumbers
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