If you’ve ever planted your entire garden at once, only to end up with way too much lettuce in early spring and nothing left by late summer, you’re not alone!  Many gardeners face this problem.  That’s where succession planting comes to the rescue!

Succession planting is a great way to make the most of your garden space, ensuring you always have something fresh to harvest. By staggering your planting dates, swapping out crops at the right time, and using varieties with different maturity dates, you can enjoy a steady supply of homegrown veggies from early spring to the first frost date.

Sounds great, right? But figuring out when to plant what, and how to time everything, can feel overwhelming. That’s exactly why I created my Succession Planting Cheat Sheet! It’s a simple, printable garden planting chart that lays out when to plant, replant, and rotate your crops for a continuous harvest. No more guessing or wasted space! You can grab it for just $5 here.

Now, let’s dive into how succession planting works and how you can use a succession planting chart to plan your most productive garden yet!

What is Succession Planting?

Succession planting is a simple but powerful strategy that keeps your vegetable garden producing all season long. Instead of planting everything at once and ending up with a single overwhelming harvest season, you stagger your planting dates so new crops are always growing as old ones finish.

There are three main ways to use succession planting in your garden:

1. Staggered Planting – Plant small amounts of leafy greens, bush beans, or other fast-growing crops every couple of weeks instead of all at once. This way, you’ll always have fresh veggies rather than a sudden surplus.
2. Replant After Harvest – As soon as one crop is finished, plant something new in its place. For example, once your radishes or lettuce seeds are harvested in early spring, you can replant with bush beans or tomato plants for a summer crop.
3. Mix Maturity Dates – Choose different varieties of the same crop that mature at different times. This works especially well for root crops like carrots and beets, or salad greens, so you always have something ready to pick.

By following a succession planting guide, you can maximize your garden beds, reduce wasted space, and keep fresh produce coming from early spring through late summer and beyond. And if you want an easy way to plan it all out, my Succession Planting Cheat Sheet does the hard work for you! (More on that in a minute!)

Succession Planting Guide: How to Plan for a Continuous Harvest

If you want to keep your vegetable garden producing from early spring to the first frost date, a little planning goes a long way. The key to successful succession planting is knowing what to plant, when to plant it, and what comes next. Here’s how to do it!

Step 1: Choose Your Crops Wisely

Not all vegetables are ideal for succession planting, so start by picking crops that grow quickly or can be planted multiple times throughout the season.

• Cool-season crops like lettuce seeds, salad greens, radishes, and peas are perfect for early plantings in late spring and can be replaced with warm-season crops later on.
• Fast-growing crops like bush beans, beets, and carrots can be planted at different times to extend your harvest season.
• Larger plants like tomato plants and peppers take a long time to mature, so plant them alongside quick growers like leafy greens to make the most of your garden space.

Step 2: Stagger Planting for Extended Harvests

Instead of planting everything at once, spread out your planting dates so you’re always harvesting something fresh.

• Example: Plant leafy greens and radishes in early spring → Replant with bush beans in late May → Swap them out for fall-friendly crops like spinach and kale in late August.
• This method keeps your raised bed or garden beds full and thriving with different crops at all times.

Step 3: Consider Different Maturity Dates

Choosing different varieties of the same vegetable with varying maturity dates ensures a steady supply of food rather than one big harvest all at once.

• Example: Plant a mix of early, mid, and late-season carrots or cabbages to keep them coming throughout the season.
• This works great for root crops like beets and carrots, lettuce seeds, and cool-season crops like spinach.

Step 4: Use a Succession Planting Chart for Planning

Let’s be real—keeping track of what to plant and when can get confusing fast. That’s why having a succession planting chart is so helpful!

• A good succession planting guide tells you exactly when to plant, what to plant next, and how to rotate your crops for continuous harvests.
• Instead of guessing, grab my printable Succession Planting Cheat Sheet! It includes a garden planting chart, a crop rotation chart, and a vegetable planting guide to take the stress out of planning. You can get it here for just $5! [insert link]

With a little planning and the right tools, you can enjoy fresh homegrown produce all season long. Next, let’s look at some of the best crops for successive planting and how to rotate them for a thriving garden!

Garden Planting Chart: Best Crops for Successive Planting

One of the best things about succession planting is that you can tailor it to fit your garden’s needs, whether you have a large vegetable garden, a few raised bed spaces, or just a small section for quick-growing crops. The trick is knowing which vegetables work best for successive planting and how to time them.

Here’s a quick breakdown of the best crops for staggered planting, replanting after harvest, and mixing maturity dates to keep your garden beds full all season long.

Fast-Growing Crops

These are perfect for staggered planting because they mature quickly, allowing you to plant multiple rounds:

• Lettuce – Every 1-2 weeks for a steady supply of salad greens
• Radishes – Every 2 weeks (great in early spring and again in late summer)
• Bush beans – Every 2-3 weeks for continuous picking
• Carrots – Every 2-3 weeks, mixing different varieties for extended harvest times

Root Crops That Can Be Replanted

These crops are great for replanting after harvest and work well with succession planting:

• Beets – Plant every 2-3 weeks for a steady harvest
• Turnips – Quick to mature and a great replacement crop after early spring greens
• Green onions – Easy to tuck in between other plantings and harvest at different times

Larger Plants That Work Well With Succession Planting

These take longer to mature but pair well with quick-growing crops to maximize garden space:

• Tomato plants – Can be interplanted with lettuce seeds to provide shade in hot weather
• Peppers – Slow-growing but great to plant after early spring greens have finished
• Cucumbers – Can be planted in late spring and again in late August for a second crop

Late Summer & Fall Crops

Once the heat of summer starts to fade, you can swap out your spent plants for cool-season crops that thrive in late summer and early fall:

• Spinach – Loves cooler temps and can be planted in early spring and again in late summer
• Kale – Thrives in fall and even tolerates light frost
• Broccoli – A great crop to plant after your summer harvests of bush beans and squash

Make Succession Planning Even Easier!

Keeping track of planting dates, harvest times, and crop rotations can be tricky, which is why a good succession planting chart is so helpful.

Good news!! I created a printable Succession Planting Cheat Sheet to make it super easy! It includes:

• A Succession Planting Crop Guide showing how often to plant popular veggies for continuous harvests
• A quick-reference garden planting chart with recommended replacement crops for every season
• A fill-in-the-blank succession planting worksheet so you can plan out exactly what to plant and when in your own garden

For just $5, you can grab your copy here and take the guesswork out of succession planting!

Now that you know which crops work best for successive planting, let’s talk about how to rotate them for long-term garden success.

Crop Rotation Chart: Why It Matters in Succession Planting

If you want a healthy, productive vegetable garden year after year, you can’t just plant the same thing in the same spot over and over. That’s where a crop rotation chart comes in!

Crop rotation is the practice of moving different crops around your garden beds each season to prevent soil depletion and reduce the risk of pests and diseases. It’s especially important in succession planting because you’re always adding new plants as old ones finish.

Why Use a Crop Rotation Chart?

• Keeps soil nutrients balanced – Different plants have different needs. Leafy greens love nitrogen, while root crops like carrots and beets need more phosphorus. Rotating crops helps keep things in check.
• Reduces disease and pests – Some plant diseases linger in the soil. Moving crops around helps break the cycle and keeps your plants healthier.
• Maximizes your harvests – Certain crops actually improve the soil for the next plant. For example, bush beans add nitrogen, which benefits lettuce seeds and other leafy greens.

How to Rotate Crops in Succession Planting

The easiest way to rotate crops is to follow a simple four-group system based on plant families:

1. Leafy Greens (Nitrogen Lovers) – Lettuce, spinach, kale, cabbage
2. Fruit-Producing Crops (Heavy Feeders) – Tomato plants, peppers, squash, cucumbers
3. Root Crops (Light Feeders) – Carrots, beets, radishes, turnips
4. Legumes (Soil Builders) – Bush beans, peas, lentils (these add nitrogen to the soil)

Example of a Simple Rotation Plan:

• Early Spring: Plant lettuce seeds and radishes (Leafy & Root Crops)
• Late Spring: Replace them with bush beans (Legumes)
• Summer: Swap the bush beans for tomato plants (Fruit Crops)
• Fall: Finish the season with spinach or kale (Leafy Greens)

This method keeps your garden beds healthy while allowing you to practice succession planting throughout the entire growing season. Find out more about crop rotation here.

Vegetable Planting Guide: Maximizing Your Garden Beds

If you’ve ever looked at your garden beds and wondered how to fit everything in—or worried about empty space between harvests—you’re not alone! That’s where a solid vegetable planting plan comes in. By combining succession planting, companion planting, and smart use of space, you can grow more food in less room and enjoy a steady supply of fresh produce.

Interplanting & Companion Gardening

One of the best ways to maximize your garden space is by growing crops that work well together. Using a companion gardening chart, you can plant different crops in the same area to make the most of your soil, space, and harvest times.

Examples of companion planting for succession gardening:

• Lettuce seeds under tomato plants – The tomatoes provide shade in hot weather, keeping the greens from bolting too soon.
• Peas with spinach – The peas fix nitrogen in the soil, which helps the spinach grow larger.
• Radishes with carrots – The radishes mature quickly and loosen the soil for the carrots to thrive.

Raised Bed Succession Planning

If you’re growing in a raised bed, succession planting is even easier because you control the soil and can plant in tighter spaces.

Example of a raised bed succession planting schedule:

• Early Spring: Plant cool-season crops like spinach, lettuce seeds, and radishes.
• Late Spring: Swap them out for warm-season crops like bush beans and cucumbers.
• Late Summer: Once summer crops are done, plant fall greens like kale and spinach for another round of harvests.

By using a vegetable planting guide, you can plan ahead and ensure your garden beds are never empty for long!

Final Thoughts: Take the Guesswork Out of Succession Planting

If you’ve ever felt frustrated by empty garden beds in the middle of the season or wished your vegetable garden could produce food for a long time, succession planting is the answer! By using a succession planting guide, staggering your planting dates, and rotating different crops, you can enjoy fresh harvests from early spring all the way to the first frost date.

Here’s a quick recap of how to make it work:

✅ Use a succession planting chart to plan when and what to plant.

✅ Choose crops with different maturity dates so something is always ready to harvest.

✅ Follow a crop rotation chart to keep your soil healthy and avoid pests.

✅ Pair crops using a companion gardening chart to maximize garden space.

You don’t have to figure it all out on your own!

That’s exactly why I created my Succession Planting Cheat Sheet—a simple, printable garden planting chart that helps you plan your vegetable planting guide at a glance. Inside, you’ll get:

✅ A Succession Planting Crop guide showing how often to plant popular veggies for continuous harvests

✅ A quick-reference garden planting chart with recommended replacement crops for every season

✅ A fill-in-the-blank succession planting worksheet so you can plan out exactly what to plant and when in your own garden

No more second-guessing when to plant or how to keep your garden productive. Grab your copy for just $5 here!

Now go make the most of your garden space and enjoy fresh homegrown food all season long!