Succession Planting Schedule: How Often to Plant Each Vegetable for a Continuous Harvest
- May 6, 2026
- By Editorial Team | Reviewed by:
- Christin Hanssen
Quick answer: Vegetables fall into three groups for succession planting. Sow once per year for long-producing crops like kale and indeterminate tomatoes, and for frost-tender crops like courgettes and sweetcorn that won’t fruit a second time before autumn. Sow twice per year for chard, parsley, and spinach — a spring sowing and a late-summer sowing for fresh tender leaves. Sow on a regular schedule for one-and-done crops like radishes (every 1–2 weeks), lettuce heads (every 1–2 weeks), and carrots and beets (every 3–4 weeks). The full schedule is below, with notes on which crops benefit from an extra sowing in milder climates.
This guide is the practical companion to our introduction to succession planting. If you already know the basics of why and how, this is the schedule you can stick on the fridge.
A note on climate
The intervals below assume a temperate climate with a 5–6 month growing season — for example, the UK, much of northern Europe, the US northeast and Pacific Northwest, southern Canada. If your climate is different, adjust as follows:
- Long warm season (8+ months, no autumn frost or very late frost): You can usually add one or two extra sowings of warm-weather crops like courgettes, cucumbers, climbing beans, and sweetcorn. The mild-climate notes against each crop tell you where this is worth doing.
- Short cool season (4 months or less): You’ll fit fewer sowings overall, and may not be able to do the late-summer second sowing on chard, parsley, or spinach. Focus on cold-tolerant crops and accept fewer rounds.
What is a succession planting schedule?
A succession planting schedule is a plan that tells you when to sow each vegetable so you have a steady supply rather than one big glut followed by an empty bed. Instead of sowing all your lettuce on one day in April, you sow a small batch every two weeks. Instead of one big radish harvest in May, you have radishes ready every week from April to October.
How often to sow depends on three things: whether the plant gives one harvest or many, how fast it grows, and whether your climate gives a second sowing time to mature before frost.
Most home gardeners overestimate how much they should plant at once and underestimate how often they should plant. A small handful of seeds every week or two beats one big sowing every spring.
Group 1: Sow once per year
These crops only need a single sowing. Either the plant produces continuously for the whole season from one sowing, or it’s frost-tender and a second sowing wouldn’t have time to mature before autumn.
Kale. Sow indoors in early spring, plant out after last frost. The plant produces leaves for 6–12 months. By the time a second sowing would mature, the first plants are still producing. One sowing is enough. Mild-climate note: in regions without hard winter frost, a late-summer sowing gives you tender autumn and winter leaves.
Indeterminate tomatoes (vining, cherry or full-sized). Start indoors 6–8 weeks before last frost. Plants produce continuously from July to first frost.
Courgettes / zucchini. One sowing in late spring is enough in most climates. Each plant produces from July until the first frost ends the season. Mild-climate note: in long warm seasons (8+ months), a second sowing in early July refreshes production once the first plants are slowing from powdery mildew.
Cucumbers (vining types). One spring sowing usually carries through the season. Frost-tender. Mild-climate note: a second sowing in early July extends the harvest where autumn stays warm.
Climbing beans (pole beans). One sowing produces for 8–10 weeks. Frost-tender. Mild-climate note: a second sowing in midsummer extends the harvest until late autumn in mild climates.
Sweetcorn (single sowing approach). In short or temperate seasons, one sowing in late spring is all that fits. Mild-climate note: in long warm seasons, sow every 2 weeks for 6–8 weeks for a continuous supply, since each plant only produces 1–2 ears that ripen together.
Perennial herbs — chives, oregano, thyme, sage, rosemary, mint. Plant once and harvest for years. No succession needed.
Group 2: Sow twice per year
These crops produce well from a single spring sowing, but a second sowing in mid-to-late summer gives you fresh, tender plants for autumn when the spring plants are getting old, bolting, or being affected by heat.
Swiss chard. First sowing in early spring produces from June until heavy frost. A second sowing in mid-July gives young, tender leaves through autumn. The second sowing is worth doing because mature spring chard leaves get tough.
Parsley. First sowing in early spring produces all season. A second sowing in early summer gives you fresh young plants for autumn and winter use, especially if your spring plants start to bolt.
Spinach. Sow in early spring for May–June harvest. Sow again in late summer for an autumn and overwintering crop. Spinach bolts in heat, so don’t bother with summer sowings — there’s a genuine summer gap.
Group 3: Sow on a regular schedule
Each plant gives a single harvest. Pull a radish, the plant is gone. Cut a head of lettuce, the plant is finished. Pull a carrot, that’s the only carrot you’ll get. To keep a steady supply, you need to keep replanting on a regular interval.
How often to replant depends on three things: how fast the crop grows, how long it stays good in the ground, and whether the crop bolts in heat and long summer days.
- Fast crops that don’t hold well (radishes, head lettuce) need replanting every 1 to 2 weeks.
- Medium-speed crops with longer harvest windows (beets, carrots, scallions) only need replanting every 3 to 4 weeks because individual plants can be pulled across a wider window.
- Bolt-prone crops (arugula, coriander, dill, leaf lettuce, pak choi) need frequent small sowings and a break during the longest, hottest weeks of summer when long days and heat trigger flowering. Resume sowing in late summer when days shorten.
Replant every 1 to 2 weeks
Radishes. From sowing to harvest in 25–30 days. Sow every 7 to 10 days from early spring to early autumn. Skip the hottest weeks — radishes turn woody and pungent in heat.
Mustard greens. Sow every 2 weeks. Quick to mature and best harvested young.
Replant every 3 to 4 weeks
Bush beans. Each sowing produces for about 3 weeks of heavy picking. Sow every 3 weeks from after last frost until 60 days before first autumn frost.
Beets. Sow every 3 to 4 weeks from early spring to mid-summer. Beets store well in the ground, so the same sowing can be harvested across several weeks.
Carrots. Sow every 3 to 4 weeks from early spring to mid-summer. Like beets, carrots can stay in the ground for weeks waiting to be pulled, so the replanting interval is wider than for radishes despite carrots being a one-and-done crop.
Spring onions / scallions. Sow every 3 to 4 weeks from early spring to early autumn. They mature quickly and don’t take up much space.
Kohlrabi. Sow every 3 to 4 weeks from early spring to mid-summer. Best harvested young; older bulbs get woody.
Turnips (small-rooted types). Sow every 3 weeks. The youngest, smallest turnips are the best.
Broccoli (small-headed varieties). Sow every 4 weeks from early spring to early summer. Skip midsummer in hot climates — broccoli bolts in heat. Resume in late summer for autumn heads.
Sugar snap peas. One main spring sowing, then a second sowing about 4 weeks later. In cool climates, a third autumn sowing is possible. In hot climates, peas don’t tolerate summer.
Bolt-prone crops — sow often, then take a summer break
These crops go to flower (bolt) very quickly when days get long and temperatures rise. Once they bolt, the leaves turn bitter or the plant is finished. The strategy is frequent small sowings in spring and early summer, a deliberate gap during the longest, hottest weeks, then a return to sowing in late summer.
Leaf lettuce (cut-and-come-again). Sow every 2 to 3 weeks from early spring to early summer. Pause in midsummer in hot climates. Resume in late summer for an autumn crop. Bolt-resistant varieties exist and are worth seeking out for high-summer sowings.
Head lettuce. Sow every 1 to 2 weeks for a steady supply of fresh heads. Skip midsummer in hot climates because most varieties bolt.
Arugula / rocket. Sow every 1 to 2 weeks in spring and early autumn. Bolts very fast in summer heat and long days — skip the hottest weeks entirely and resume in late summer when conditions cool.
Pak choi and other Asian greens. Sow every 3 weeks. They bolt fast in heat — skip the hottest weeks of summer and resume in late summer.
Mizuna. Sow every 2 weeks. Bolts in heat like its mustard relatives — pause in midsummer.
Coriander / cilantro. Sow every 3 weeks. Bolts very fast in heat — most varieties only stay tender for a couple of weeks per sowing in summer. Slow-bolt varieties exist but no variety is fully bolt-proof.
Dill. Sow every 3 to 4 weeks. Bolts to flower quickly, especially in long-day midsummer conditions. Frequent sowing is the only way to keep tender leaves available.
What if I miss a sowing date?
Don’t stress about it. The biggest mistake gardeners make isn’t missing a date — it’s giving up entirely after they miss one. If you intended to sow lettuce on May 1 and it’s now May 15, sow it on May 15. The schedule slides. You’ll get a slightly later harvest but you’ll still get one.
The second biggest mistake is sowing too much per round. A single seed packet of lettuce contains 500+ seeds. You don’t need to plant the whole packet. Twenty seeds every two weeks is more food than most households can eat. Save the rest for next year — most vegetable seed stays viable for 3–5 years if stored cool and dry. You’ll find seed lifetime for each crop in the Grow To Eat app.
How do I keep track of all this?
Most gardeners need a system. Some options:
- A wall calendar in the kitchen, with sowing dates marked at the start of each season. Cross off as you go.
- A spreadsheet with rows for each crop and columns for each week. Tick boxes when sown. Boring but reliable.
- The Grow To Eat app sets sowing reminders for each crop based on your local climate and the schedule you choose, so you don’t have to remember when each round of radishes or lettuce is due. It also keeps a record of what you sowed and when, which becomes your own personalised schedule next year.
- A garden journal if you’d rather keep things on paper. Note each sowing date as you do it, so next year you have last year’s actual dates to copy.
Whatever you use, write down what you sowed and when, even briefly. The most useful succession-planting schedule is the one based on your own garden’s actual results, not someone else’s.
Frequently asked questions
How often should I plant lettuce for a continuous supply? Sow leaf lettuce every 2 to 3 weeks and head lettuce every 1 to 2 weeks. Skip the hottest part of summer in temperate climates because most lettuce bolts in heat. Resume sowing in late summer for an autumn crop.
How often should I plant radishes? Every 7 to 10 days from early spring to early autumn, skipping the hottest weeks of summer. Each radish is a one-time harvest, so frequent small sowings are essential.
How often should I plant carrots? Every 3 to 4 weeks from early spring to mid-summer. Carrots are a one-and-done crop, but they can sit in the ground for weeks waiting to be pulled, so you don’t need to replant as often as you do for radishes.
Do I need to succession plant tomatoes? No. Indeterminate (vining) tomato varieties produce continuously from one sowing for the entire summer. One sowing per year is enough.
Should I succession plant kale? Usually not. Kale produces leaves for 6–12 months from one sowing, so a second sowing isn’t useful in most temperate gardens. In mild climates without hard winter frost, a late-summer sowing gives you tender autumn and winter leaves.
Should I succession plant courgettes? In most temperate climates, no — one sowing in late spring is enough, and frost will end the season before a second sowing could fruit. In long warm seasons (8+ months without frost), a second sowing in early July refreshes production once the first plants are slowing from powdery mildew.
Why do my arugula and coriander bolt so fast? Long summer days and high temperatures trigger flowering in these crops. Once they bolt, the leaves turn bitter and the plant is finished. The fix is frequent small sowings in spring and early autumn, with a deliberate break during the longest, hottest weeks of summer.
How often should I plant beans? Bush beans every 3 weeks for a continuous harvest. Climbing beans usually only need one sowing per year because each plant produces for 8–10 weeks.
When should I stop succession planting in autumn? Count back from your first autumn frost date the days-to-maturity of the crop, plus an extra 2 to 3 weeks for slower autumn growth. That’s the latest you can sow that crop. For a 30-day radish in a region with a 1 October frost date: count back 30 + 21 = 51 days. The last sowing date is around 10 August.
Can I succession plant in containers and raised beds? Yes — containers and raised beds work well for succession planting because you have full control of the soil. Top up with fresh compost between crops to keep nutrients available.
What’s the difference between succession planting and a succession planting schedule? Succession planting is the technique. A succession planting schedule is the calendar that tells you when to do it for each specific crop. The technique is universal; the schedule depends on your climate, your crops, and your goals.
Want some help?
Gardening is full of decisions — what to plant, when to water, how to stay on track. To make things easier — set sowing reminders in the Grow To Eat app for the crops on your succession planting schedule. The app keeps a record of what you sowed and when, which becomes your own personalised schedule next year.
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