Succession Planting

By Annette Coppess

One of the best ways to maximize your vegetable garden is with succession planting—the practice of planting crops in intervals so you have a steady harvest throughout the growing season. This technique ensures fresh vegetables throughout the season (instead of all your produce maturing at once) and helps you make the most of your garden space. It’s also known as “staggered planting.”

We’ll teach you how it works, share the best vegetables for succession planting, give you tips for success, and answer commonly asked questions.

How to Succession Plant

Plan your schedule: Determine the days-to-maturity for each vegetable and work backward from when you want to harvest. It’s also helpful to know your frost dates to understand your growing window. See the chart below for a quick reference.

Plan your planting space: After planting your favorite vegetables, it’s wise to reserve space for an additional planting a few weeks later.

Stagger your sowing: Plant in intervals, typically every 1–3 weeks depending on the crop and which vegetables you want to enjoy the most from your garden.

Use the best planting method: Direct sow fast-growing crops like radishes, carrots, and peas, and transplant slower growers like broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower.

Illustration shows three garden beds planted in success, with greens in three different stages of maturity for a staggered harvest.

Lettuce, spinach, kale, and other greens: Sow continually every 1-3 weeks through late summer and fall for a fresh supply of tender leaves. Cooler temperatures make leaves sweeter. Plant in partial shade in warmer weather.

Radishes, beets, and carrots: Fast-growing roots can be sown every 1-3 weeks for staggered harvests. They’re easy to sow to fill in garden gaps, plus, you can enjoy their greens too.

Broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower: Start seeds indoors for transplants, or direct sow in waves every 3 weeks to extend your fall harvest. Look for cold-hardy or frost-tolerant varieties for later season harvests. Cabbage heads develop best in cooler weather.

Peas: Plant in cooler weather every 2-3 weeks for ongoing pod production and their signature decorative blooms. Use trellises to support their growth.

Kohlrabi and bok choy: Sow these quick-maturing crops every 2 weeks. They thrive in late summer for fall harvest.

Green onions: Sow continually every 2 weeks for a continual harvest of of tender stems, ideal for seasoning just about any dish.

Best Vegetables for Succession Planting, from Shortest to Longest Grow Time

Chart shows a list of recommended vegetables for succession planting, listed from shortest to longest grow time.

Why Succession Planting Works

Vegetables have different growing times, and some may tolerate cool or warm weather better than others. By planning your plantings carefully, you can harvest one batch while another is just getting started. Plus, it helps keep your garden resilient in the face of pests, temperature swings, or other challenges when you always have a fresh new crop on the way.

Tips for Success

Keep soil consistently moist, as young seedlings are sensitive to drying out. This is especially important when planting in the heat of summer.

Fertilize appropriately to support multiple plantings.

Monitor for pests, especially when crops overlap, since continuous plantings can attract more insects.

Consider using row covers or shade cloth to extend the growing season and protect delicate greens.

Plants grow more slowly as days shorten later in the season, so add about 1-2 weeks to the days-to-maturity time for anything sown after mid‑August. For example, if you have a 45‑day harvest window, look for a crop with a 30‑to 35-day variety, or use transplants.

The Result: A Succession of Harvests

Succession planting transforms your garden into a continuous production system, so you’re never without fresh vegetables. With careful planning and consistent care, you can enjoy a harvest that stretches from early summer through late fall, making your garden more productive and your meals more flavorful.