I've talked about it quite a bit, but let's really dig into what succession planting means and why it's the way to go!
Check out the Succession Planting Guide & free downloadable worksheet here: sandiegoseedcompany.com/growi...
0:32 What Is Succession Planting
It's all about having fresh produce all season long! If you plant an entire seed pack at once, the plants are all going to be on the same timeline. They'll take up a ton of space and be ready to harvest at the same time. If you do a lot of preserving, that might not be too bad.
Generally, though, you want to succession plant. That means starting seeds in groups spaced out every week or every few weeks. When your first plants are ready to harvest, you can enjoy them at their peak of flavor. In another week or two, you can do it all over again because you'll have plants at every stage of the life cycle all growing at the same time.
This also helps mitigate any pest or disease issues. You won't lose everything all at once because you have backups on the way.
But how do you keep track of when to start certain crops?
We've got it all included in our calendar. The 2023 version is coming soon, and you can also check out the blog post above. We also include succession planting info on all of our seed packs.
2:44 Succession Planting In Action
So what does this look like? Let's use our new pelleted cauliflower seeds as an example.
I recommend planting these in 21-day increments. My first batch of seeds are started, so I'm going to wait three weeks and then plant some more. I'm going to repeat that process a few times over.
That means I'm always maximizing the space in my garden, and I'll always have fresh cauliflower without being totally overwhelmed by it all being ready at once.
To help me keep track of everything, I like to do an entire row and label it with a popsicle stick. That helps me stay on top of all the seedlings.
6:01 Succession Planting Examples
Heading into the garden, we can see how things are being flipped from warm to cool season growing. I have a couple of rows with irrigation that could be an area for my cauliflower seedlings after three or four weeks in the starter pots.
I might plant just part of one row and leave room for the second class. I still have space for my third and fourth groups to go in as well. By the time I'm planting that fourth batch, I will have cleared out the first group which means I now have a spot for the fifth group of seedlings! You can see how this cycle can repeat over the course of the entire season.
None of this is new, though. It's how people gardened and farmed for a long time! I'm not some magician with a secret, but I do want to help us learn from and build on the past. This simple adjustment to the timing of when you start plants can help you and your community enjoy fresh, local produce all season long.
10:02 Succession Planting Carrots
In another part of the garden, I have a couple of rows of carrots here. They were planted in succession, and you can see the process in action.
Some spots have already been harvested, some are maturing & ready to harvest, and some won't be ready for a bit still. I've been enjoying fresh carrots for MONTHS now, and you can easily do this too. It just takes a little bit of planning and organizing, but it will pay off for you so much!
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