Increasing Yield by Succession Planting Squash and Okra

Benefits of Succession Planting

Succession planting is known as staggering multiple crops in the same area throughout the growing season to ultimately get a continuous harvest. We suggest succession planting squash, okra, cucumbers, and other vegetables to increase the maximum yield of crops for a longer period of time within the vegetable garden. Some additional benefits of succession planting are pests, weed and fertility control in the area. By succession planting, you can allow the garden space to germinate weed seeds in between plantings of crops. Then, lightly cultivate to eliminate the weed seeds before succession planting the next round of crops. For pest and disease control, succession planting allows you to determine what pest or disease problems you might have and where certain crops do well in a specific location in the garden. When it comes to fertility control, by succession planting you can determine which crops need more amending or fertilizer in the soil to improve plant growth throughout the season.

Succession Planting Squash & Okra

On this week's episode, Travis explains how you can increase yield by succession planting in the vegetable garden. When it comes to succession planting squash, Travis is able to get up to 4 plantings in the area from early spring on into summer. When succession planting okra, he is able to do 3 successions per year. To prepare the garden for succession planting, Travis likes to use the fad system which stands for furrow, amend, and drip. First, he uses his Double Wheel Hoe to make a furrow in the ground where our compost and drip tape will be laid. Next, we will add a little layer of good compost to the furrow to help improve the organic matter in the soil. Then, Travis will use the Drip Tape Layer attachment to lay the drip tape and cover it up all in one passing. To plant squash and okra, he will allow the drip tape emitters to fill up with water and place seeds along the water spots of the emitters on top of the soil. When succession planting squash he will direct seed the Sunburst Squash. While he uses the garden seeder to succession plant the Jambalaya Okra.

Planting Squash & Okra

When planting squash we recommend direct seeding seeds every 12 inches along the garden row. Squash is a crop that requires multiple harvests throughout the growing season and should be harvested every 2 or 3 days to ensure no fruits become too large and unpalatable in the garden. Travis recommends transplanting okra in the early spring to get a jumpstart on production and early germination of plants during the growing season. By transplanting in our seed starting trays this ensures a solid root ball because of the internal root training ribs that help the plants grow properly and reduce transplant shock when placed in the vegetable garden. When it comes to succession planting squash and okra we recommend maintaining your garden in between each planting to provide better plant growth, maximize space, and improve harvesting yields.