Succession Planting — How to Get a Steady Harvest All Season

Three ways to succession plant

• Stagger the same crop: sow a short section every 7-14 days so batches mature in sequence.
• Mix maturities: plant early, mid, and late varieties of one crop together (works well for sweet corn, beans, cabbage).
• Follow one crop with another: replace a finished spring crop (like peas) with a warm-season one, then a fall crop after that.

Best crops for succession sowing

Short-season crops that mature in under ~60 days are ideal because you can fit several rounds in: lettuce (45-60 days), radishes (25-30 days), spinach, bush beans (50-60 days), beets (50-60 days), carrots (60-75 days), and herbs like cilantro and dill that bolt quickly and are best replaced often.

Timing the last planting

For any crop, count its days-to-maturity backward from your average first fall frost to find the last date it's worth sowing. Spring plantings are timed off the last frost date; fall plantings off the first frost. Your local Extension office or GardenSays' planting-date tools can give you those frost dates for your area.

✔ Keep it small: a 2-3 foot section every couple of weeks usually feeds a household better than one big planting that all comes ready the same week.

Sources

Reviewed 2026-07-18. We cite university Extension, government, and established horticultural sources — and never invent pesticide rates or dangerous treatments.

• West Virginia University Extension — Succession Planting — Stagger plantings of the same crop 7-14 days apart to spread the harvest; or plant early, mid, and late maturing varieties together; count days to maturity back from the first frost to schedule the last planting.
• University of Missouri Extension — Harvest all season long with succession sowing — Succession sowing plants crops in stages through the season for a continuous harvest; short-season crops such as lettuce, spinach and radishes can be sown every few weeks.

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