Succession planting — staggering the same crop at 2–3 week intervals, or following one crop with another — can double or triple the productive output of your Michigan garden without adding a single square foot of space. Most Michigan gardeners plant everything at once and get a glut in July and nothing in September. Succession planting fixes this completely.
| Crop | Sow Interval | First Sowing (Zone 6) | Last Sowing (Zone 6) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lettuce | Every 2–3 weeks | March 25 (indoors/cold frame) | August 15 | Fresh lettuce from April through October |
| Spinach | Every 2–3 weeks | March 20 | August 20 | Avoids summer bolt; two distinct seasons |
| Radishes | Every 2 weeks | April 1 | September 1 | Continuous harvest — never a 6-week glut |
| Bush beans | Every 2–3 weeks | After last frost (May) | July 20 | Fresh beans from July through September |
| Carrots | Every 3 weeks | April 5 | July 15 | Harvests from July into October; fall carrots are sweetest |
| Cilantro | Every 2–3 weeks | April 1 | August 1 | Avoids summer bolt; continuous leaf harvest |
| Brassicas (second crop) | Start indoors early July | Transplant Aug 1–15 | — | Fall broccoli, cabbage, kale harvest Sept–Oct |