Succession planting
Encyclopedia
In agriculture
, succession planting refers to several planting methods that increase crop
availability during a growing season
by making efficient use of space and timing.
There are four basic approaches, that can also be combined:
These techniques can be used to design complex, highly productive cropping system
s. The more involved the plan, the more detailed knowledge is required, of the specific varieties and how they perform in a particular growing location.
The term "succession planting" usually appears in literature for home gardening and small-scale farming, although the techniques apply to any scale. Some definitions include one or more, but not all of the four techniques described above.
Succession planting is often used in organic farming
. Multiple cropping
describes essentially the same general method. A catch crop
refers to a specific type of succession planting, where a fast-growing crop is grown simultaneously with, or between successive plantings of, a main crop.
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
, succession planting refers to several planting methods that increase crop
Agriculture
Agriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
availability during a growing season
Growing season
In botany, horticulture, and agriculture the growing season is the period of each year when native plants and ornamental plants grow; and when crops can be grown....
by making efficient use of space and timing.
There are four basic approaches, that can also be combined:
- Two or more crops in succession: After one crop is harvested, another is planted in the same space. The length of the growing season, climate, and crop selection are key factors. For example, a cool season spring crop could be followed by a heat-loving summer crop.
- Same crop, successive plantings: Several smaller plantings are made at timed intervals, rather than all at once. The plants mature at staggered dates, establishing a continuous harvestContinuous harvestIn agriculture, continuous harvest is the availability of a crop over an extended period during the growing season. Each crop has a harvest window during which it is ready for picking. Some are harvested by removing the whole plant, for example, cutting a head of lettuce...
over an extended period. LettuceLettuceLettuce is a temperate annual or biennial plant of the daisy family Asteraceae. It is most often grown as a leaf vegetable. It is eaten either raw, notably in salads, sandwiches, hamburgers, tacos, and many other dishes, or cooked, as in Chinese cuisine in which the stem becomes just as important...
and other salad greens are common crops for this approach.
- Two or more crops simultaneously: Non-competing crops, often with different maturity dates, are planted together in various patterns. IntercroppingIntercroppingIntercropping is the practice of growing two or more crops in proximity. The most common goal of intercropping is to produce a greater yield on a given piece of land by making use of resources that would otherwise not be utilized by a single crop. Careful planning is required, taking into account...
is one pattern approach; companion plantingCompanion plantingCompanion planting is the planting of different crops in proximity , on the theory that they assist each other in nutrient uptake, pest control, pollination, and other factors necessary to increasing crop productivity...
is a related, complementary practice.
- Same crop, different maturity dates: Several varieties are selected, with different maturity dates: early, main season, late. Planted at the same time, the varieties mature one after the other over the season.
These techniques can be used to design complex, highly productive cropping system
Cropping system
A cropping system is a general term that describes how a producer might grow a crop. A basic distinction is between conventional tillage and conservation tillage....
s. The more involved the plan, the more detailed knowledge is required, of the specific varieties and how they perform in a particular growing location.
The term "succession planting" usually appears in literature for home gardening and small-scale farming, although the techniques apply to any scale. Some definitions include one or more, but not all of the four techniques described above.
Succession planting is often used in organic farming
Organic farming
Organic farming is the form of agriculture that relies on techniques such as crop rotation, green manure, compost and biological pest control to maintain soil productivity and control pests on a farm...
. Multiple cropping
Multiple cropping
In agriculture, multiple cropping is the practice of growing two or more crops in the same space during a single growing season. It is a form of polyculture. It can take the form of double-cropping, in which a second crop is planted after the first has been harvested, or relay cropping, in which...
describes essentially the same general method. A catch crop
Catch crop
In agriculture, a catch crop is a fast-growing crop that is grown simultaneously with, or between successive plantings of a main crop.For example, radishes that mature from seed in 25–30 days can be grown between rows of most vegetables, and harvested long before the main crop matures...
refers to a specific type of succession planting, where a fast-growing crop is grown simultaneously with, or between successive plantings of, a main crop.