Succession planting schedule for continuous harvest of leafy greens in small raised beds is my blueprint for steady salads all season. I use a weekly planting calendar to stagger sowing of mixed greens and avoid harvest gaps. I map a simple seasonal timeline for spring and fall and repeat sowing every week or so. I space beds for good airflow and stagger plantings so baby greens come in waves. I plant kale, arugula, and chard a bit deeper and wider. I track maturity, rotate beds, and harvest leaves before they bolt so pests stay low and my salad bowl stays full.
How I build a succession planting schedule for continuous harvest of leafy greens in small raised beds
I start by treating my beds like a kitchen line: one station feeds the next. I measure each bed, note full-sun and part-shade areas, and pick a set of fast, reliable greens — lettuce, arugula, spinach, and baby kale. I map out bed blocks so I always have one block maturing, one being thinned, and one newly sown. This is the backbone of my Succession planting schedule for continuous harvest of leafy greens in small raised beds.
My rhythm is simple: sow, thin, harvest. I pencil backup sowings for rainy or cold weeks and pick varieties with staggered days-to-harvest so I’m not trimming a whole bed at once. If a bed fails, the next block carries me through — like a relay team passing the baton.
My goal is steady supply, not a single giant haul. I aim for repeat sowing every 7–14 days and adjust based on weather and family needs. I check soil moisture, add compost between sowings, and rotate leafy families to keep pests low.
I use a weekly planting calendar for mixed greens to plan sowing and avoid gaps
Each bed gets a code: A, B, or C. Week 1 I sow Bed A; Week 2 I sow Bed B; Week 3 I sow Bed C; then I repeat. I write the seed variety and expected harvest window next to the date and note thinning and final harvest weeks. The calendar is living — if a crop is slow I shift a week; if a heatwave speeds growth I move the next sowing earlier.
- Plan Bed A/B/C cycle by week, write variety and sow date.
- Mark thinning and harvest weeks for each bed.
- Adjust sowing dates for weather or crop speed.
- Swap varieties to fill holes if one crop fails.
I plan a seasonal succession planting timeline for leafy vegetables for spring and fall crops
For spring I favor quick greens that tolerate chill — spinach, tatsoi, and baby lettuce. I start sowing as soon as soil is workable, then continue every 7–14 days until the heat comes. I stop heavy sowing two weeks before the first hot stretch and switch to shade- or heat-tolerant greens if needed.
In fall I restart when nights cool and overlap late summer sowings with early fall sowings so harvests continue through frost. I note first-frost dates and plan my last sowing so crops ripen before hard freezes, staggering varieties with different cold tolerances to stretch supply into winter.
I set a clear succession planting schedule for leafy greens with repeat sowing every 7–14 days
I keep a small reference sheet pinned to my shed: sow interval, thin timing, and days to first harvest. It’s my quick guide: sow every 7–14 days, thin at true-leaf stage, and harvest baby greens or full leaves as needed.
| Crop | Sow Interval | Days to Harvest (baby) |
|---|---|---|
| Lettuce (mixed) | 7–10 days | 25–35 |
| Arugula | 7–14 days | 14–25 |
| Spinach | 10–14 days | 21–30 |
| Baby Kale | 10–14 days | 25–35 |
How I stagger sowing times and space plantings for continuous salad supply
I sow a bit of lettuce, spinach, and mixed baby greens every 7–14 days in the same raised bed. This gives a steady stream of young leaves and keeps me from drowning in one big harvest. I call this my Succession planting schedule for continuous harvest of leafy greens in small raised beds because each sowing hits peak at different times.
I plant in layers: quick baby greens on the edge, slower crops like chard and kale toward the back so I can harvest the front without trampling the back. I watch the weather and shift intervals seasonally — shorten intervals in cool weather and lengthen them in heat to prevent bolting. My rule: small, frequent sowings and a little observation.
I follow staggering sowing times for salad greens and set best sowing intervals for baby greens
I stagger sowing by crop type and by how I plan to eat the greens. For baby salad greens, I sow thinly and harvest young: every 7–10 days in cool weather, 10–14 days in warm weather. For mixed leaves I blend varieties so flavors change from mild to peppery over weeks.
- Sow baby greens every 7–10 days in cool weather, 10–14 days in warm weather.
- Sow mesclun or mixed salads every 10–14 days.
- Sow cut-and-come-again lettuces every 14–21 days.
I use simple bed spacing rules to keep airflow
I space plants so they breathe: leave 6–8 inches between small plants and 12–18 inches for larger plants like full-head lettuces or chard. Good spacing reduces leaf-to-leaf contact and cuts disease risk.
I thin seedlings rather than yank them all at once — pulling every other plant gives room to grow and a snack of thinnings. Rotating where I sow within the raised bed keeps soil fresh and prevents pests from settling in.
I apply a succession sowing guide for kale, arugula, and chard with wider intervals and deeper sowing
For kale, arugula, and chard I sow a bit deeper (about 1/4–1/2 inch) and space 12–18 inches apart for full-size harvests, repeating sowings every 3–4 weeks in cool seasons. These are heartier crops treated more like main dishes than appetizers.
How I manage harvest timing, rotation, and a continuous harvest plan for lettuce and spinach
Timing is everything. I note sowing dates, first true leaves, and expected days to harvest so I can anticipate bolting and avoid surprises. I use staggered sowings (small batches every 7–10 days in spring and fall) so I’m not overwhelmed and can harvest on a cut-and-come-again rhythm: take outer leaves first or cut above the crown so plants keep producing.
I pair timing with bed rotation and hygiene. After a spinach or lettuce series I leave the bed fallow or plant a non-host crop, clear debris, and top-dress with compost. Those steps reduce disease and keep future plantings healthy.
I track timing of harvest for successive plantings so I pick leaves before bolting
I watch plant size and stem feel, not just calendar dates. For spinach I check leaf width and node count; for lettuce I watch the center for tightness. If I see a flower stalk forming, I harvest immediately — that saves leaves from turning bitter.
I keep a simple chart with sowing date, expected harvest window, and a quick note on temps. When temps climb I move the next sowing to a shadier spot or cover young plants briefly. Small moves like that stop bolting before it starts.
I rotate beds and use a continuous harvest plan for lettuce and spinach to limit pests and disease
I rotate crops by family and by bed, avoiding planting spinach and lettuce in the same bed more than two cycles in a row. That breaks pest lifecycles and reduces soil-borne disease. I split beds into sections and treat each as its own unit: one for baby leaves, one for head forms, one resting. Tidy spent plants quickly and remove debris to cut hiding spots for slugs and aphids.
Weekly planting calendar checklist
I follow a simple weekly checklist and call it my “Succession planting schedule for continuous harvest of leafy greens in small raised beds.” I sow, mark, thin, harvest, and replace on a loop so the beds are always productive.
- Week 1: Sow seed in section A
- Week 2: Sow in B
- Week 3: Thin A and sow in C
- Week 4: Harvest outer leaves from A and sow in A
- Repeat
This ordered rhythm keeps the salad bowl full and the raised beds productive all season.
