Most gardeners start strong in spring, only to end up with empty beds or tired plants by midsummer. Succession planting solves that problem. Instead of planting everything once and hoping for the best, you plan a steady parade of crops so something is always coming up as something else comes out.
Succession planting is simply growing crops in waves. You might sow the same crop several times, follow a quick crop with a slower one, or tuck in new plants wherever a harvest leaves a gap. With a little planning, even a small garden can produce fresh food from the first spring salad to the final fall harvest.
Four basic types of succession planting
Staggered sowings of the same crop
Some vegetables mature quickly and then bolt or turn bitter. Think lettuce, radishes, spinach, bush beans, and cilantro. Instead of planting a full bed all at once, sow a smaller section every 1–3 weeks. As one planting is harvested or declines, the next wave is coming into its prime, giving you a steady supply instead of a glut and a gap.
Planting different crops back-to-back in the same bed
This is where succession starts to feel like magic. Pair a fast crop with a slower one. For example:
- Spring: radishes and leaf lettuce
- Early summer: bush beans
- Late summer/fall: beets or fall greens
Each crop hands the baton to the next, making full use of your growing season and space.
Interplanting quick and slow crops together
Some crops take a long time to mature, but they leave open soil around them for weeks. You can use that space. Plant quick growers in the gaps around long-season crops. For example, sow radishes or baby lettuce between young broccoli or tomatoes. By the time the big plants need room, you’ve already harvested the quick ones.
Using transplants after early harvests
After you pull out spring peas or early potatoes, don’t leave the bed empty. Have warm-season transplants like peppers, squash, or more beans ready to go. Starting them in pots or cell trays means they’re ready to plant as soon as a space opens, and you lose little time between crops.
Simple steps to get started
- Know your days to maturity. Check seed packets and jot down how long each crop takes from planting to harvest. This helps you decide what can realistically follow what in your climate.
- Work in smaller sections. Divide each bed into mini-blocks or rows. Plant a portion now, then another portion later, rather than sowing everything the same day.
- Keep a running list of “next up” crops. When you harvest a bed or row, immediately replace it with another crop that can still mature before your first frost (or before high heat in hot climates).
- Feed and mulch the soil. Frequent planting can be hard on soil. Add compost between crops and use mulch to protect soil life and conserve moisture.
Download your free succession planting checklist.
Succession planting doesn’t have to be complicated or perfect. Start with one or two beds, track what works, and adjust for next season. Over time, you’ll learn the rhythm of your garden and keep those beds producing far longer than a single spring planting ever could.
