Succession Planning for a successful cutting patch
What can be grown is dependant on where you are located and the equipment and resources you have available to you, Some of these factors may be too difficult or impossible to change, such as the weather and where you live. However by planning your succession of seed sowing and planting you can make the most of each available time period v's your space.
​There is a delicate dance between nurturing the present beauty and preparing for future blooms and ensuring that you dedicate the right amount of space to each takes careful consideration and planning. Succession planning in gardening is like composing a symphony of colours, shapes, textures and scents, ensuring a seamless transition from one season's blossoms to the next. And if you are a flower farmer it's a vital step in going from an OK season to a BUMPER season.
​Mother Nature
Succession planning isn't just about replacing spent blooms, it's about maintaining a continuous flow of flowers throughout the growing season and there are many factors to consider.
Understanding when your natural growing season starts and ends in your area is important so that you can begin to plan harvests. Where we are based in Hampshire near the South Coast of England our natural growing season starts in February with the camellias and Hellebores opening up then soon after the Hyacinths and Anemones will start.
We still have lots of frosty days and nights throughout March but if I grow the Hyacinths and Anemones under cover I will get a good crop by Mid March - without this its more likely to be the end of March. April will be the month of Tulips and a few filler flowers such as Cerinthe, Centaurea Montana and Wallflowers. In the greenhouse I can also expect a good crop of Icelandic poppies in April.
Looking to the other end of the season this usually finishes with Dahlias anytime from Sep through to Nov, depending on the last frost. I don't grow my Dahlias in the greenhouse as I simply do not have the space. If we have an early Sep frost I will usually have some China Asters to save the day and the heirloom Chrysanthemums will have also started and will take me through to December. So armed with this information I know I can plan flowers from February through to End of Nov and all it takes is to fill in the gaps.
​​Choosing the Right Plants
Selecting a variety of flowers/varieties with different bloom times can also ensure a continuous succession. Consider bulbs, corms, annuals, biennials and perennials to create a balanced and diverse offer. These will all need to be sowed and planted at different times and planning this ahead is key. Many people think that the gardening calendar starts in March when they sow most of their annual seeds, however I think to think ahead a lot more than this. For me my gardening year starts in mid summer. Around June time when most of the annuals are in the ground for the year and the potting bench is freed up this is when I start to sow my biennials for the following year and a few extra Perennials. In late summer and autumn come the hardy annuals, spring corms and bulbs and then annuals are started in the new year.
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You can download a copy of my annual planner cheat sheet below as a PDF:
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Integrating Succession into your layout
The next key to continuous blooms is to plan your space with succession and seasonality in mind. You can also group plants with similar bloom times together, making it easier to manage cut and maintain the succession cycle.
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I like to split my plot into sections and think about the return on each one and how many crops I will be able to get from each section . On some beds it may only be just one crop such as Peonies, or for my perennial bed I know they will be in the ground all year round so I| can not get anything else into that ground, however I do choose lots of crops which are cut & come gain so will repeat flower for a few months.
I also like to think about Early, Mid & Late season crops which will help maximise space. In some beds I will only be able to get 2 crops per year and in others 3 per year - IF I time everything right and choose flowers which have a short maturity and also flowers which can be successfully grown in pots until the bed is freed up.
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You Can Download a copy of my Succession Layout Planner Below :
Practical Tips for Success
Practical Tips for Success
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Keep a Garden Journal - Record planting dates, bloom times, and any observations throughout the growing season. This information will be invaluable for future planning and adjustments.
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Regular Maintenance - Stay on top of deadheading spent blooms and fertilizing to encourage continuous growth and prolonged flowering periods.
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Experiment and Adapt - Don't be afraid to experiment with different plant combinations and succession schedules. Gardening is a continuous learning process, and flexibility is key to success.
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Extend the Season - Consider techniques such as using row covers or cold frames to protect tender plants and extend the growing season into late fall or even winter in milder climates.
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THE BLOOMING GARDEN PODCAST
To learn more about succession planning listen to our Podcast Episode 1. Succession Sowing for your cut garden or flower patch
Read all about the power of seed sowing schedules to plan a continous supply of blooms throughout the season! and dowload our free planners!