1. Or should that be “succession planning”?
Succession Planting
Or should that be “succession planning”?
Sustainable Living in the Suburbs

2. Sustainable Living in the Suburbs
Following one plant with another
Maximises vegetable production of a given area
Potentially provides food all year around
Can improve variety of food available
What & Why
Sustainable Living in the Suburbs

3. Sustainable Living in the Suburbs
List what veggies you want to eat each year. (type & variety)
Find out when in the year each food likes to grow.
Guess how much of each food you want to eat.
Work out how much growing area you have
Create a plan
Follow your plan
Record your harvest, to plan for next year.
How?
Sustainable Living in the Suburbs

4. Sustainable Living in the Suburbs
Crop Rotation
Sustainable Living in the Suburbs

5. Good Companions/bad companions
Plant short, shade-tolerant plants beneath taller, bushy plants.
When you mix sun-loving plants, put tall ones at the south end of the plot and small ones at the north end
Plant herbs throughout the garden, especially basil, mint, sage, and dill. EXCEPTION: Keep dill away from carrots.
Plant marigold here and there in and near the garden to repel pests and encourage beneficials that prey on them.
Do the same with chives, garlic, or onions EXCEPT near or amongst legumes.
Exploit the different maturation rates of different crops: plant lettuce, spinach, or chard early where you plan to set out squash and melons later, so that weeds don’t have a chance to move in, and you get two crops instead of just one.
Good Companions/bad companions
Sustainable Living in the Suburbs

6. Sustainable Living in the Suburbs
Leaf = greatest Root = Middle Fruit = Least
Shade Tolerance
Sustainable Living in the Suburbs

7. Sustainable Living in the Suburbs
Early, main crop or late?
Determinate vs indeterminate
Some veggies have many varieties available (eg tomato 90+) some only one or two
Select to enhance you plan
Flavour (and other attributes) may vary
Can plant together to spread the harvest
Use as a catch crop
Choose Your Variety
Sustainable Living in the Suburbs

8. Sustainable Living in the Suburbs
What to Plant
When to plant it
Amount
Sowing
Where?
Basil
Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec
5 / 1st & 3rd month
S or P or G
P 2 I & B3M
Asian Greens
Mar, Apr, May (then,) Sep, Oct
5 /month
S or G
B 1 I
Beans – Climbing
Jan, (then not until) Sept, Oct, Nov, Dec
10 / month G
B4 I
Beetroot
Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr (then ) Aug, Sept, Oct, Nov, Dec
10 /month
B4 M B1 I
Broccoli
Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr (then, not until ) Sept, Oct, Nov, Dec
5 /month
S then, G
B2 M
Cabbage
Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec
5/month
Capsicum
B3 M
Carrots
Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May (then,) Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec
20/month
P M & I & E
Celery
B2 I
Chillies
5/ season
P M
Corn
Jan , Feb (then, not until) Oct, Nov, Dec
15/month
B5 I & M
Coriander
Jan, Feb, Mar (then, not until) Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec
P 3 E & I & M
Cucumber
Jan, Feb (then, not until) Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec
5/ month
B3 M
Eggplant
Jan (then, not until) Sept, Oct, Nov, Dec
B 4 M
Garlic
Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct
20 /month
Kale
Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, (then not until) Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec,
B4 E
Leeks
Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, (then ) Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec
B3 I
Lettuce
10/ month
Onion
Feb, Mar, Apr, Jun, Jul, Aug
20/ month
S or
Peas
Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep
B1 M
Potatoes
Aug, Sep, Oct Nov, Dec
10 tubers/month
B 5 M or P3 M
Pumpkins
Jan (then, not until) Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec
5 once
B 6 M
Spinach
Mar, Apr, May (then,) Aug, Sept
5 / month
B4 E
Tomato
Jan, Feb Mar (then, not until) Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec,
10/month
B4 M
Zucchini
P2 M
Sustainable Living in the Suburbs

9. Sustainable Living in the Suburbs
Vegetable
Variety
July
August
Week 1
Week 3
Asparagus
Mary Washington
6 plants
Basil
Sweet
4 plants
Beans
1 row
Beetroot
Crimson Globe
Bok Choi
Broccoli
Summer Green
2 plants
Royal Dome
Broad beans
Coles Dwarf
1 Row
Cabbage
Sugarloaf
1 plant
Golden Acre
Cabbage - Chinese
Wong Bok
Calendula
Pot marigold
Capsicum
California Wonder
Chilli
Cayenne
Carrots
All year round
Half Bed
Chantenay
Another plan
Sustainable Living in the Suburbs

10. Don’t Forget Perennials
Includes asparagus, Jerusalem artichokes, chokoes, Malabar spinach, taro, day lilies….
They need a long term bed but can be integrated, depending on your system
Increase the volume and variety of available foods
Often crop for extended periods
Require less maintenance
Don’t Forget Perennials
Sustainable Living in the Suburbs

11. Sustainable Living in the Suburbs
Yields vary from year to year
Don’t be afraid to experiment
Try unfamiliar veggies, a bit at a time, get from the veggie shop & try first if possible
If the variety is called “All Year Round” – don’t believe it!
Talk to other local growers about planting times and varieties
Rats & Mice
Sustainable Living in the Suburbs

12. Sustainable Living in the Suburbs
List what veggies you want to eat each year. (type & variety)
Find out when in the year each food likes to grow.
Guess how much of each food you want to eat.
Work out how much growing area you have
Create a plan
Don’t forget crop rotation & companion planting
Follow your plan
Record your harvest, to plan for next year.
Summary
Sustainable Living in the Suburbs

13. Sustainable Living in the Suburbs
Sustainable Living in the Suburbs
Any Questions?