Succession Planting for Fall and Winter Greens, A Three-Sowing Plan
Succession planting for fall and winter greens: stagger sowings 7 to 10 days apart and time them to reach most of their size before days drop below 10 hours.
by Joyce ·
7 to 10 days apart
Succession planting for fall and winter greens works differently than it does in spring. Stagger your sowings 7 to 10 days apart and time them so each one reaches most of its size before your days drop below about 10 hours. After that, your plants barely grow, so each sowing needs to reach picking size before winter sets in.
A gardener in the Pacific Northwest wrote this fall that she felt lost on the staggering part. I felt the same my first few years, so here is the plan I use now.
Why late sowings stallwrite down every sowing
In spring, every sowing grows faster than the one before it because the days keep getting longer. In fall it runs the other way. Each sowing gets less light than the last, so a seed sown two weeks late can finish a month or more behind.
A simple three-sowing calendar
Johnny's Selected Seeds suggests two or three sowings 7 to 10 days apart, tightening to 2 to 5 days apart as you near the 10-hour date, with the goal of plants about 75% mature when short days arrive. N.C. State Extension gives the same 75% target for overwintering crops. I fit that into three sowings:
Early fall sowing. Your biggest planting. It feeds you through late fall.
Mid fall sowing, 7 to 10 days later. Picks up when the first one slows down.
Late fall sowing, a few days to a week after that, or under cover. Holds through winter in a cold frame or comes back in spring.
To set the first date, count back from your 10-hour date using the days to maturity on the packet plus 10 to 14 days for slower fall growth. These spacings are my own habit built on that guidance, so adjust them to your yard.
Intervals I use by crop7 to 10 days apart
These come from my own notebook, not a published chart.
Lettuce: every 10 to 14 days.
Spinach: every 2 weeks, with the last sowing left to overwinter.
Arugula: every 10 days. It bolts in heat and loves cool weather.
Radishes: every week. They finish fast, so check the packet for days to maturity.
from the garden, this year
Standing harvest vs. spring regrowth
Some sowings serve as your winter pantry in the ground. You let them reach full size, then pick leaves a few at a time all winter. Others go in late on purpose. They sit small through the cold and grow fast once the days lengthen in late February.
Keep a simple sowing log
I keep mine in a spiral notebook by the back door. Print the worksheet below or copy its columns.
Fall sowing log
My first frost date: ________ My 10-hour date: ________
Date sown
Crop and variety
Bed
Days to maturity
Date of first harvest
Joyce's Backyard · frostregister.com
After one season you can see which dates worked in your own yard, and that beats any chart.
Common mistakes
Sowing too late in open beds. Check your 10-hour date first. My fall greens timing guide shows how to find it.
Overcrowding. Thin your seedlings, or the whole row stays small.
I resow every 10 to 14 days, timed so the last sowing reaches most of its size before days drop below 10 hours.
When should the last succession go in?
Early enough that it reaches about 75% of maturity before days drop below 10 hours. Under a cold frame you can push it a little later, but it won't grow much until February.
Can I succession-sow inside a cold frame in winter?
You can sow, but your seedlings grow slowly until the days lengthen. Use winter sowings for an early spring harvest.
