Grow a plan for garden produce

By Alison Stoven
CSU Extension, Larimer County Horticulture Agent

If you've ever wondered how vendors at a farmers' market are able to sell bushels of tomatoes for weeks while your garden produces everything over three days, it's time to realize that it's in the planning.

If next-door neighbors no longer smile or exchange greetings, fearing you'll gift them with another bag of zucchini, try succession planting.

There are two types of succession planting. The first is to grow multiple plantings of the same crop, using varietal or temporal succession; the second is to plant different species of vegetables, following one another at the end of their life cycles.

Varietal succession is planting a range of cultivars of the same crop with varying harvest dates. A search on the Burpee Seed web site (burpee.com) reveals 30 different types of sweet peppers. All vary by maturity time. 'The Godfather' sweet pepper is a popular variety for grilling and matures in 64 days; 'California Wonder' is an heirloom variety large bell that matures in 75 days. By planting these two varieties at the same time, you can grill 'The Godfather' first, followed two weeks later with 'California Wonder' in your salad.

Temporal succession is planting the same variety throughout the course of the season. For example, seed lettuce in mid-May, then two weeks later, seed again. When the first crop of lettuce is finished, the second crop is ready to harvest. Not only is this an efficient way to prolong harvest dates, it is easier for the gardener to keep up with harvesting. In the northern Front Range, you can expect the growing season to last between 130 and 172 days, depending on the latest and earliest freeze, so plan crops accordingly.

Concentrating on succession planting with different species of vegetables is another common practice. Most gardeners do this without even realizing it. Once the spinach has finished (a cool season plant), it is replaced with sweet corn (a warm season plant). It's important to know the time of maturity of vegetables when using different species. Make a note on a tag when you plant in the garden.

Cool season crops are best planted in early spring and late summer, when temperatures are cooler. Cool season vegetable crops have varying maturity times. In general, spinach and lettuce mature in 35 to 45 days; broccoli, cabbage, beets and chard mature in 50 to 60 days. Cool season crops can tolerate a bit of frost and are generally planted outdoors from mid-April through early May, then again in late July through mid-August.

Warm season crops, which are intolerant of freezing temperatures, need to be planted after May 15 (the average frost-free date) and are killed by the first hard frost in fall. Warm season crops also have varying maturity dates: beans need 65 to 75 days and corn needs 75 to 90 days. Tomatoes, peppers and eggplant mature in 70 to 75 days. All maturity dates depend on the vegetable cultivar. Do your homework before purchasing seeds or transplants.

Crop rotation is a type of succession planting. Many agricultural producers practice crop rotation in fields each year. This practice also applies to home gardeners. The general rule is to not plant the same crop (or its relative) in the same place two years in a row. Rotation is better soil management, since some crops require high amounts of nitrogen (leaf crops). It also helps reduce pests and disease and maintains organic matter. Some common plants and their families are: mustard - cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower; beet - beets and spinach; carrot - carrots and parsnips; onion - leeks and onions; and nightshade - tomatoes, potatoes, peppers and eggplant.

A common garden cycle is a three-year crop rotation. Divide your garden into three sections, and the vegetables you'd like to grow into three groups. Each year, prepare and plant the individual groups into each plot. The following year, move the crops to the next plot. This method allows a two-year lapse between crops.

If you're planning on starting seeds-read the package label. There will be light and temperature suggestions when starting the seeds, as well as recommendations for the length of time needed before transplanting into the garden. 'The Godfather' pepper matures in 64 days, but needs an additional eight to 10 weeks to grow to transplant size. Therefore, if you plan on starting seeds, the time is now.

As the snow flies, you can be elbow-deep in potting media, watering seedlings to your heart's content. And as your garden produces an abundance of veggies this year, you will be assured that your neighbors and friends won't hide when they see you coming with a bag of homegrown produce.