Crop Rotation & Succession Planting
Crop Rotation
Crop rotation is an important part of the process of growing vegetables. It can limit the spread of crop disease and pests and help reduce the need for pesticides. Many of our vegetable plants are related to one another and can share specialized pests, disease, and fungi that affect them. By rotating your crops each season, you can cut down on reinfections and infestations. Learning plant families can help you better plan your garden and implement crop rotation.
Succession Planting
Adapted from UF/IFAS Gardening Solutions
Succession planting means planting crops so that they ripen a few plants at a time. This way you will harvest in small batches, over many weeks, rather than all at once.
There are many ways to plant "successively." You can space out the ripening period by having multiple sowing dates. You can plant multiple varieties. You can take advantage of the change of season. Planting in succession is a great technique for any vegetable garden, large or small.
Multiple Planting Dates
One approach to succession planting is to begin several separate plantings of the same vegetable. We plant lettuce, for example, from October through February. Instead of planting a dozen rows on October 1st, plant a couple rows every month. With multiple planting dates, your garden will yield fresh lettuce for a longer period of time. A slow, steady supply is an improvement on the harvesting frenzy that lasts only a couple weeks. The method for succession planting works best for crops with long planting windows, like lettuce and corn.
Varieties
You can also practice succession planting by planting several varieties of the same crop. Most varieties have different numbers of "days to maturity." By planting several different varieties at the same time gardeners enjoy multiple harvests. This method works well for carrots, lettuce, tomatoes, and more. You'll get to enjoy a little more variety with this method, too.
Multiple Seasons
Succession planting also helps gardeners take advantage of Florida's year-round growing season. And many Florida gardeners are already doing this. When the fall warm-season crops wind down, we plant again with cool-season crops. To avoid garden down time, re-plant as crops stop producing. By planting successively, you'll have enough produce to feed your family, all season.