There's a classic gardening mistake that nearly everyone makes at least once: sowing an entire packet of lettuce seeds in one go, then wondering what to do with 50 lettuces all ready at the same time.
Or planting out all your courgette seedlings in May, only to face a tidal wave of courgettes in August while you're desperately trying to give them away to neighbours.
The solution is succession sowing, and once you get the hang of it, you'll have steady harvests all season rather than gluts followed by gaps.
What Is Succession Sowing?
Simply put, succession sowing means sowing small amounts of seeds regularly rather than everything at once. Instead of sowing a whole row of radishes in April, you sow a short section every two weeks from April to August.
The result? Fresh radishes available for months rather than 50 radishes all ready in the same week that you can't possibly eat before they go woody.
It works brilliantly for fast-growing crops that don't store well, and it's the difference between a continuous supply and the classic boom-bust cycle.
Which Crops Benefit from Succession Sowing?
Perfect for Succession Sowing:
- Salad leaves (lettuce, rocket, mizuna, mustard greens): They bolt quickly in warm weather, so small regular sowings keep fresh leaves coming.
- Radishes: Fast-growing but don't hang around once ready. Sow every 2 weeks for continuous supply.
- Spring onions: Quick to mature and don't store, so little and often works perfectly.
- Beetroot: Young beetroot are sweet and tender; succession sowing gives you perfectly-sized roots all summer.
- Carrots: Sow every 3-4 weeks for fresh carrots from July through autumn.
- Peas: Crops arrive in a rush, so staggered sowings extend the harvest window.
- French and runner beans: While they crop over weeks, staggered sowings mean you're not overwhelmed.
- Courgettes: One or two plants every few weeks is plenty; all at once is madness.
Not Worth It:
- Onions and garlic: Long season crops planted once for autumn harvest.
- Brassicas (cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli): Slow-growing; you'd need huge amounts of space for multiple batches.
- Squash and pumpkins: They store brilliantly, so one main sowing is fine.
- Tomatoes and peppers: Long cropping period means one sowing gives months of harvest.
How Often Should You Sow?
It depends on the crop and how much you eat. Here's a rough guide:
- Salad leaves: Every 1-2 weeks from March to September
- Radishes: Every 2 weeks from March to August
- Spring onions: Every 2-3 weeks from March to July
- Beetroot: Every 3-4 weeks from April to July
- Carrots: Every 3-4 weeks from March to July
- Peas: 2-3 sowings spaced 3-4 weeks apart in spring
- French beans: Every 3-4 weeks from May to July
- Courgettes: One plant in May, another in early June (seriously, that's enough for most families)
Start with longer intervals and adjust based on how quickly your household gets through each crop. You'll find your rhythm after a season or two.
Practical Tips for Success
Sow Little and Often
A short 1-2 metre row every fortnight is better than a 10-metre row once. You want a steady trickle, not a flood.
Keep Records
Jot down what you sowed and when. It sounds boring, but after a few weeks you'll forget, and it helps you work out optimal spacing for next year. A simple diary or notes app on your phone works fine.
Use the Same Space
As you harvest one batch of salad or radishes, resow that section. This keeps the same bed productive all season without needing masses of space.
Adjust for the Weather
Hot weather speeds everything up; cold slows it down. In high summer, salad leaves might be ready in 4 weeks; in spring, it might take 8. Factor this in when planning your next sowing.
Have a Backup Plan
Some sowings will fail (slugs, poor germination, freak weather). If a batch doesn't come up, resow immediately rather than waiting for the next scheduled date. Flexibility beats rigid planning.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Sowing Too Much at Once
The whole point is small, regular sowings. Half a row is plenty for most households. Resist the urge to sow entire packets.
Forgetting to Sow
Life gets busy and it's easy to miss a sowing window. Set a phone reminder every 2-3 weeks during growing season, or pick a regular day (first and third Sunday of each month, for example).
Not Harvesting in Time
If you don't pick the first batch, there's no space for the next. Keep on top of harvesting, even if that means sharing with neighbours or making multiple salads in a week.
Starting Too Late
Begin your succession sowing in early spring (March/April depending on crop). Starting in June means you've already missed months of potential harvests.
The Reward
Succession sowing takes a bit more planning than the traditional 'sow everything in spring' approach, but the rewards are huge. You'll have fresh salads from May to October, sweet young carrots all summer, and a steady supply of beans rather than a brief glut.
Your meals get more varied, there's less waste, and you're not begging friends to take surplus courgettes off your hands in August.
Start simple. Pick one or two crops and try succession sowing this year. Once you see how well it works, you'll wonder why you ever did it any other way.