Container Gardening Complete

Job:06-700309 Title: CPS - Container Gardening Complete

700309 - ContainerGardens_001-272_FINAL.indd 230 5/24/17 12:24 PM
Job:06-700309 Title: CPS - Container Gardening Complete
Job:06-700309 Title: CPS - Container Gardening Complete

700309 - ContainerGardens_001-272_FINAL.indd 231 5/24/17 12:24 PM

230 chapter 5

SUCCESSION PLANTING

Even the smallest container garden can produce

big yields if you pay attention to the varieties

you plant, care for your containers properly, and

harvest them in a timely fashion. But, there’s

another technique you can employ to boost the

yield of your container-grown vegetable garden:

succession planting.

Succession planting is a simple system that

allows you to make multiple harvests from a single

container. It takes advantage of the fact that many

plants prefer to grow during either a cool-season

(spring and fall) or a warm-season (summer).

Succession planting partners two or more crops

based on their desired growing season and growth

rates. Generally, a fast-maturing crop is partnered

with one that takes a bit longer to mature. Or

multiple fast-maturing crops are planted in

succession, with one going into the container as

soon as the previous crop is harvested.

There are three different ways you can use

succession planting to your advantage in a

container garden:

1. Plant a fast-maturing, cool-season crop in
   the early spring. Then, after it’s harvested,
   plant a warm-season crop in its place.


2. Plant the warm-season crop first, as soon as
   the danger of frost has passed, then follow
   its harvest with an early autumn sowing of a
   fast-maturing, cool-weather choice.


3. Gardeners with a long growing season can
   harvest three seasonal crops from the same
   container by planting a fast-maturing, cold-
   weather crop in the early spring, a warm-
   season crop in early summer, and then
   another cool-season crop in the fall.

The timing, however, is critical. If subsequent

plantings go into the container too late, they

won’t reach maturity before the end of the

growing season arrives. But if they go in too early

while the weather is too warm or too cold, the

plant will also suffer. Succession plantings must

be timed perfectly.

When you’re planting a particular succession

crop, look for the “days to maturity” on the seed

packet or pot tag. Flip the calendar to the date of

your first expected fall frost and count backwards

by the number of “days to maturity” for the crop.

Then, subtract 2 to 3 more weeks. That’s when

to sow your succession crop. Remember that

many cool-season crops have improved flavor

when they’ve been “kissed” by frost, so harvests

can continue for weeks after these plants reach

maturity, even after cold weather arrives.

Slow-maturing vegetables, like peppers, should

be partnered only with a fast-growing crop in a

succession plan. This ensures that both crops have

enough time to reach maturity.

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Harvesting and Seasonal Considerations 231

Here’s a list of excellent, fast-maturing, cool-

season crops that make great succession planting

partners whether they’re planted before or after a

warm-season crop:

• Radishes


• Turnips


• Lettuce


• Spinach


• Kale


• Collard greens


• Swiss chard


• Kohlrabi


• Arugula


• Mustard greens


• Beets


• Carrots


• Cilantro

Even if a late sowing of these crops doesn’t

reach maturity before the season ends, they can

still be harvested as mini-veggies or baby greens.

When succession planting, it’s extra important

to pay attention to your soil. Growing two or more

crops in a single season in the same container

quickly depletes soil nutrients. It’s important

to add a few tablespoons of granular organic

fertilizer to the container’s soil in between

plantings. Using a liquid fertilizer every few weeks

is another option.

The following project is an excellent way to

utilize succession planting techniques by using a

pocketed planter.

Carrots are a good crop to use for succession planting.

Sow the seeds in early spring, and they’ll be ready to

harvest less than 2 months later, giving you plenty of

time to plant bush beans or basil in their place.

These spring-planted carrots are now ready to harvest.

They’ll be replaced with another vegetable crop for a

late summer and early fall harvest.

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