As the Garden Turns – Garden Labels and Succession Planting

Most gardeners in the US either have their garden planted or are planting early crops. But as with any garden it is a continual process of planting, replanting and harvesting. If you plan your garden out, you will have ideas for what vegetable can replace a vegetable that has produced for the season. This is called Succession Gardening
photo credit: buddhiko

Garden Labels aid with garden planning

If you replant areas of your garden much using garden labels will come in handy. This also helps the family members who only raid the garden and don’t help with plantings.

You can buy labels, which add up in cost or make your own. I prefer to spend my money on seeds and plants so I make labels. Popsicle sticks work well and are cheap. If you use a permanent marker they will last for several years. Plastic containers make great labels. Cottage cheese containers and yogurt containers are two examples. Just cut them in ¾ inches trips.

In the last few years I have started to use decorated rocks for my plants I always plant. I store them in the fall and they last for years. Each rock has a story and people enjoy the art and fun they add to the garden.

Succession Plantings

Most gardens have a crop or two that end early and these spaces can be used for addition crops to be planted. Lettuce, peas, carrots and certain squash are crops I plant often.

Lettuce and carrots are planted every two weeks for tender fresh crops. I plant two pea crops and summer squash has an early and late crop. I have found squash is so productive that the plants burn out and stop producing in late August. By planting another crop in June I have summer squash until the frost kills the plants – sometimes as late as the end of October. Not bad for my zone 5 growing area.

Succession planting makes better use of you garden space and you always have a new crop growing in the garden.

With my garden I try to keep it fun (gardens are work…but they can be fun too) and I like to grow new things and combine crops to make them attractive and artistic. I have always said the day I walk into the garden and its not fun is the day I hang the hoe up.