How To Score Continuous Harvests with Succession Planting

Got your garden planted? 🙌🏻 We still have a few things to transplant and a little more direct seeding to do. As we soak up the sun in June, it's prime time to talk about a game-changing strategy for your garden: succession planting. 

It’s tempting to consider the garden “planted” and “done” after the frenzied 'sprint' of spring planting and transplanting. Believe me-- I get it.

Change your mind and go for the 'marathon' strategy to replace the 'sprint' mentality. The 'sprint' just limits your fun!

So, what does a succession planting ‘marathon’ look like? Well, it's basically the secret sauce to keep your garden pumping out fresh produce all season long. Let's dive into why it's a game changer and how you can rock it in your own backyard—no matter what size of garden you have.

We just planted a few muskmelon seeds. And a say a 'few' cuz in 'few' days we're gonna plant a 'few' more! The reason we do this is that in the past most of our muskmelons are all ripening at the same time! That's great if your planning on freezing a slug of it for your winter smoothies. Not so great if you want to enjoy them fresh for the remainder of the growing season! Enter succession planting!

Picture this: instead of a massive overload all at once—like the muskmelons all ripening or that glut of lettuce or cilantro that suddenly comes to an end-- succession planting lets you spread out your harvest. That means a steady stream of delicious melons or lettuce hitting your plate, without any going to waste! Or in the case of cilantro-- all of a sudden it's all going to seed! Plus, it's a win-win for your taste buds and the planet. Talk about a green thumbs-up!

Now, here's where it gets exciting-– making the most of your garden space. Whether you're working with a tiny urban plot, a few containers on your balcony, or a large in ground garden space-- succession planting is your ticket to growing a variety of crops to maximize your area. It's like a veggie ‘Tetris game’-- but way more rewarding when you get to enjoy the fruits (or veggies) of your labor.

When you harvest those early-season goodies like peas, radish and spinach, have a new generation of plants or seeds of a different crop ready to pop into those harvested spaces to keep the party going. Ready to kick off your succession planting adventure?

Make a plan
Start by mapping out when you planted each of these crops and when they will be ready to harvest. Think fast producing veggies, harvested for their leaves-- like lettuce, cilantro, or quick producing radishes, peas and beet greens. The ones you harvest early and are already enjoying. These crops thrive in the long days of June, grow to harvestable size quickly, and can be planted in quick succession for a continuous harvest. They're perfect for filling in the gaps between main crop harvests.

Start a new generation of transplants a couple weeks ahead of harvest and be ready to fill in those holes. Some crops are best started t in trays and transplanted as you would for spring planting-- like kale, cabbage, and broccoli.

Another strategy is to plant some seeds next to the plants you plan to harvest soon—so they'll germ, grow and take over the space just as the previous crop gets harvested. Keep track of what you've planted so you can keep the good times rolling all summer long.

Heat concerns
If you're succession planting lettuce, one to thing to aware of is-- lettuce seed has an internal thermal protector. If the seed senses that the soil is too hot, it will just refuse to germinate and wait for cooler temperatures.

So as it's getting hotter, start lettuce seeds inside where it's cooler and when it's time, transplant where it gets the benefit of some shade during the hottest part of the day, to help prevent it from getting bitter or bolting too quickly.

And as we move towards the heat of July, consider substituting for crops that don’t do well with high heat! Instead of lettuce and spinach, sow alternatives like swiss chard, amaranth, or beets for beet greens—avoiding the frustration of bolting before you even have a chance to harvest.

Extending harvest windows
Another strategy is to plant a second round of harvestable crops, like beans about 3 weeks after your main crop was planted. So plant now! These will start to produce just as your main crop starts to wane—keeping you in beans for an extended period time. And if you like to put up beans for the off-season, this will extend the window of time for you to pick, process and put up all that you need and want.

Peas are another option for fall harvests! Plant them somewhere that will be shaded from the hot sun in July as they come up but will have later season sunshine.  Plant them in the shade of other crops that will be harvested soon! Like that early planting of cilantro.

Read your packets and select varieties that mature in shorter windows— about 40 to 60 days from seeding-- and have good heat tolerance. Also, look for crops that can withstand fall frosts; the ones that won’t be injured when fall temperatures sink down into the 30s and 20s. These include lettuce, spinach, beets, Swiss chard, kale, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, and root crops like carrot, radish, and turnips. 

Here are some other germination and moisture management tips:

• By midsummer, garden soil is often hard-baked from heat and moisture. As you prepare the soil for planting, consider adding in some compost to boost the organic matter in the top few inches of the soil to increase its moisture-retaining abilities. 
• Lightly sprinkle dry soils a day or two before you intend to plant. Right before planting work the soil with a hoe or rake to mellow the seed bed. Pre-moistening helps the soil absorb the first watering, instead of the beading and floating that can happen with dry soils.
• After seeding, gently water in the seeds to speed up the germination process. It is crucial that you keep the soil surface moist for successful seed germination in midsummer. Frequent, light sprinklings are necessary. Without it— germinating seedlings will easily fry in black soil left exposed to the hot, dry sun. Your watering intervals can increase as the seedlings get established.
• To buffer the hot sun, sprinkle a thin surface veil of finely shredded mulch after seeding to help shade the soil and prevent that baked, hard crusted soil surface effect. Sprinkling some dried grass from lawn clippings could also be an option (IF your lawn has never had weed killer applied to it). Another option is to shade the newly planted seedbed with temporary  removable structure or shade cloth.

In a nutshell, succession planting in June, July and August is your garden's best friend for a non-stop supply of fresh, homegrown goodness. With a minimal planning, the right crops, and a sprinkle of gardening perseverance, you'll be reaping the rewards of your green-thumb efforts over and over again.

So, grab your sun hat, your favorite hoe and trowel, and get ready to watch your garden thrive with succession planting this summer! 🌱🌞

Your garden coach,
Theresa

PS. What are your succession planting must haves and pointers? I'd love to hear from you! Email me at theresa@prairieroadorganic.co