Overview
Keep beds productive all season while protecting soil health. Plan successions, rotate families, and add simple season-extension.

 

Core Content

  • Succession basics: Replant quick crops every 2–3 weeks (lettuce, radish, bush beans). Stagger plantings to avoid gluts.

  • Rotation by family: Move Solanaceae (tomato/pepper), Brassicas (kale/cabbage), Cucurbits (cucumber/squash), Alliums, Legumes to a new bed each season/year to reduce pests and disease.

  • Follow-on pairs (examples):

    • Spring peas → Summer bush beans → Fall spinach

    • Early lettuce → Bush beans → Fall carrots

    • Garlic harvest → Summer okra → Fall greens

  • Season extension (simple): Row cover for frost/light pest pressure; low tunnels or shade cloth for heat; mulch to stabilize moisture and soil temp.

  • Mini calendar: Note “days to maturity (DTM)” for each crop and count back from first frost/heat peak to set last plant dates.

 

Reflection Prompts

  • Which two beds can you succession-plant next, and what crops follow?

  • What is one season-extension tool you will add this month?

 

Discussion Prompts

  • Share a three-crop sequence you plan for one bed.

  • What rotation challenge are you solving this season?

 

Key Takeaways

  • Succession + rotation = steady harvests and fewer problems.

  • Count DTM backwards to place final plantings on the calendar.

  • Simple covers and mulch extend both cool and warm-season windows.

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