Succession Growing - eh?

[Scruffy Duffy]

Hello everybody,

I'm new to the site and very new to growing my own. My husband and I decided to do something a bit more interesting with our front garden which gets the best sun and turn it into a veg plot. We have three raised beds made from Link-a-bord with an arch for training peas and beans. We're hoping we're not too late to do some potato pots as well.

I've been doing as much reading as I can, but I'm a bit stumped with some of the lingo. Particularly 'succession growing'. I get the gist obviously, but can anyone tell me exactly what I have to do. Do I plant them in the same place once I've harvested the whole plant, do i grow some somewhere else entirely, or plant them in between so they mature after the first lot have been harvested??? None of my books explain what they mean, they just tell you to do it.

I hope someone can help. And I'll try to post a piccy or two once we've got something growing successfully...

Be lovely to hear from you

Scruffy Duffy

[TEB]

Hi Scruffy Duffy and welcome
Succession planting to me means 2 things.
1)When a crop is harvested a new different crop is immediately replanted so you maximise the available growing space. For instance Leeks where you harvested the first early tatties
2)Its when the same crop is planted at say 2 week intervals to ensure a continuing supply Lettuce for example.
There are probably other meanings and I am sure that someone will come along and explain them.

[Alison]

I think most of the references on this site refer to point 2 made by TEB above ie planting a few every couple of weeks to extend the season therefore you need to have enough space to plant in a different part of the bed (right next door in my case) to avoid any gluts and mean that you have a steady supply of lettuce, peas, carrot or whatever. I always try to do this but am often not entirely sucessful!

[Snadger]

I think most of the references on this site refer to point 2 made by TEB above ie planting a few every couple of weeks to extend the season therefore you need to have enough space to plant in a different part of the bed (right next door in my case) to avoid any gluts and mean that you have a steady supply of lettuce, peas, carrot or whatever. I always try to do this but am often not entirely sucessful!

Or successional!

[Alice]

Hello Scruffy Duffy and welcome to the Vine. I think both meanings you have been given are correct and will help you to get the most from your veg growing. Eg you don't want all your lettuce in the one week. So sow as many as you think you can eat over 2 or 3 weeks, then sow some more a couple of weeks later to keep them going and keep doing this throughout the summer. Lettuce can be grown in the same place over and over. Same for other summer crops. Eg you might want to sow more peas once first crop is harvested.
Other things, you might want to put in for a late crop once an early crop is out, to give you veg for the winter. eg if you only want 1 crop of peas, you could plant some kale in the space once the peas are out.
Hope that is of some help and good luck with the project.

[Scruffy Duffy]

Phnar phnar!

Thanks, it almost makes sense now. So, say lettuce. I plant them in half a row in my long bed (which is 2.5 x .5m) say. Then a couple of/few weeks later, once the first seedlings have started to come through, I plant more in the other half a row in my long bed. Then once the first lot are harvested, I replant, so on and so forth until the season ends.

Did I get it???

I can see that this forum is going to be the most valuable thing in my very focused life (motherhood, writing a dissertation for an MA and of course gardening).

Bring on the advice!!!
thanx

[Alison]

Yeah, you get it! Also worth remembering that early in the season it takes longer for things to start growing and as it warms up stuff grows quicker and of course goes over quicker too. Worth keeping a record of what you plant and when so that you can modify it next year if it doesn't work or do it again if it does.

[Scruffy Duffy]

Yeah, you get it! Also worth remembering that early in the season it takes longer for things to start growing and as it warms up stuff grows quicker and of course goes over quicker too. Worth keeping a record of what you plant and when so that you can modify it next year if it doesn't work or do it again if it does.

Hurrah!!!

We already have the diary thing in mind, but at least now I know I'm going to be able to have crops over the season, haven't started too late (for some things) and should be eating my own veggies in the not too distant future. The best bit is that we're doing all this with our 7 month old son in mind. I cook all his food and hope that his love of veg and fruit will long continue, especially if we can get him involved in it too!

Personal question. Whay are so many of us on this forum at 10 on a Saturday night? All I'll say is that I'm glad you are!

Thanx again

[Alison]

Hurrah!!!
Personal question. Whay are so many of us on this forum at 10 on a Saturday night? All I'll say is that I'm glad you are!

Actually that's a bit of a worry! Must all be getting old - have already been out for a meal and am back already, never would have happened when I was in my 20's!

On a different note, just think how much fun you'll have with your little one when he's old enough to start growing stuff himself. And good on you for cooking him fresh stuff, no worries then about salt content etc

[Scruffy Duffy]

At least you've been out. My only outings today have been to the garden centre for more soil, and then to Tesco for all the veg I want to grow. Irony?

My little boy is already facinated by the hanging basket with the tumbling cherry toms in, I think he can see that the plants are getting bigger. I can't get in the front door without him trying to touch the basket. I'm hoping it's a really good sign.

Is there anything you can recommend to grow that will absolutely succeed and keep us going for a while? We have a plan, but it's always flexible.

SD

[Alison]

Beans are very easy to grow and I love it when the come up as they're imediately such strong plants, my French climbing beans are already really shooting up and I've got my runner beans yet to plant (there's a job for tomorrow!). I also find that herbs in small pots work well, even if I haven't got enough basic lettuce, you can jazz up a cheap flat shop bought lettuce with some home grown lettuce, corriander etc. Also raddish are nice and easy and can be cropped very quickly.

[Scruffy Duffy]

That's brilliant thank you. Was vaguely distracted by Eusovision, sorry.

We have beans planned, although only French as the DH doesn't like any others - harks back to bad school dinners I think. Herbs are a go. Raddish maybe although we don't really buy it.

Plans so far are:

herbs, peas, beans, carrots, cabbage, cauli, broc/calabrese, perpetual spinach, parsnip, beetroot, leek, spring onion/onion and potato. Not bad for 3 beds. 2 at 1x1m and one at 2.5x.5m.

Lets hope the locals don;t knick them as the go past to and from the pub!

I think I shall sign off for the night as I have a late night feed to perpare for. Still needs a feed before he'll sleep through. Almost had it licked, then he started waking up again.

Talk soon hopefully and thanks for the advice tonight.

SD

[Alison]

Sounds like you've got it pretty much sorted on the veg planning front, you have a good mix planned. If you've got the space it may be an idea to plant up some sort fruit also, raspberries in particular are very easy to grow and are lovely fresh off the canes.

[Alice]

Why not grow some Pak Choi Scruffy Duffy. Germinates rapidly and sowing to eating about 5 weeks. Really easy and fuss free. You can steam it or stir fry it, and just by successional sowing have a constant supply.

[Alison]

Which variety of Pak Choi do you grow, Alice and where do you get your seeds from? I've tried it in the past without much success (slugs!!!!) and was thinking of trying again but haven't noticed much in the way of seeds in the shops.