Plant and Garden Reference Information

Succession Planting

To maximize the utilization of garden and farming space, a method often employed is succession planting. This means the staggering of plants so that there is an extended or continued use of the soil. It is possible to do this with the same plant or with different varieties. There are four main methods of succession planting utilized.

The first method of succession planting is directly following the harvest of one plant with the sowing of another. This may be timed seasonally for example planting a summer plant and following that harvest with a cold hardy plant.

The second method of succession planting is planting the same crop at different time intervals. For example, once a seedling reaches vegetative growth another row of seeds is planted. This allows for continuous harvest of the same plant over an extended period.

The third method of succession planting is selecting two non-competing crops and growing them simultaneously. Typically, these plants will have different maturity dates. This is similar to companion planting.

The fourth method of succession planting is planting different varieties of the same crop at the same time but that have different maturity dates. This allows for similar harvest time but staggered to extend the growing season and increase yield.

It is important to research the types of plants to be planted in this style in order to pair the plants appropriately otherwise each could interfere with the growth of the other.