Uploaded May 2025 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
There are ways to grow and harvest more, throughout the year, in small or larger spaces.
No dig makes it easier and more successful, with no “soil-work” and fewer weeds. It’s quick to replant, interplant and companion-plant, all at close spacings. Your total harvests increase, and you enjoy the beauty of a full garden.
Companion planting is about spacing and stage of growth, rather than liking or disliking. In the right situation, I find that all plants like all other plants, providing they have space to grow.
SUCCESSION IDEAS
First vegetable of a year and examples of second vegetable to follow.
Beetroot sown March - Leek, chicory, kohlrabi
Broad Bean overwintered - Cabbage, broccoli, many others
Broad Bean sown February - Beetroot, kale, chard, chicory
Climbing beans - Garlic
Dwarf beans planted early June - Autumn salads, , cabbage and onions to overwinter
Early brassicas planted early April - Dwarf beans, beetroot, carrots
Carrots sown early April - Cabbage, celery, beetroot
Celery planted April - Kale, salad onions, endive
Cucumber, ridge - Autumn salads
Fennel planted early April - Dwarf beans, beetroot, salad onions
Garlic - Cabbage, carrots, beetroot, kale
Kohlrabi transplanted early April - Summer squash
Lettuce - Celery, leeks, kale
Onion, shallot for bulb - Kohlrabi, Savoy cabbage, lettuce
Onions for salad planted March - Dwarf or climbing beans, summer squash
Overwintered cabbage, broccoli, broad beans, salads, spinach - Climbing beans, sweetcorn, squash
Pea first early and pea shoots - Broccoli, leeks, salad onions, beetroot
Pea, later varieties planted April - Carrots
Potatoes early planted March - Leeks, beetroot, broccoli, kale
Potatoes second early planted April - Leeks, kale, lettuce, chicory, endive
Potatoes maincrop planted early May - Cabbage, salad onions, broad beans to overwinter, garlic
Radish early sown, planted March - Winter squash, climbing beans, courgette
Salad rocket planted March - Squash, sweetcorn and much more
Spinach (not leaf beet) planted March - Carrot, beetroot, cabbage, kale
Squash all types planted late May - Autumn salads, cabbage and onions to overwinter
Sweetcorn early planted late May - Endive, cabbage and onions to overwinter
Tomatoes cordon - Garlic, broad beans
Turnips planted March - Beetroot, leeks, kale, carrots
My pack of Useful Information includes a 'Harvesting Timeline' which can be downloaded as a PDF: shop.charlesdowding.co.uk/products/charless-useful-information-pack-digital
00:00 Introduction
00:51 Peas Hurst Greenshaft - ideas for succession plantings
01:52 Soil health with no dig
02:04 No rotation
02:46 Having plants ready to keep garden full
03:08 Interplanting - sowing carrot between lettuce
03:57 Multisown beetroot, early harvest, interplanted with cucumber
04:56 Harvesting one beetroot from multisown clump
05:46 Covering plantings with fleece
05:59 Potatoes second early, will be followed by leeks
07:03 Watering plants close to harvest
07:15 Space from recently planted cabbage, options for second plantings
07:43 Fennel, soon ready to harvest, ideas for succession plantings
08:16 Onions, have had fleece over against allium leaf miner
09:09 Carrots between onions - when and how to harvest - then planting kale
10:13 Ideas for succession plantings on my sowing calendar
10:45 Sowing carrots direct, rather than transplanting
11:18 More possibilities for second plantings
Filmed 23rd May 2025, by Carly Dutton-Edwards in Somerset, UK, zone 8 temperate, oceanic climate
You can join this channel by paying a monthly fee, to support our work with helping gardeners grow better, and to receive monthly videos made only for members:
youtube.com/channel/UCB1J6siDdmhwah7q0O2WJBg/join
There are ways to grow and harvest more, throughout the year, in small or larger spaces.
No dig makes it easier and more successful, with no “soil-work” and fewer weeds. It’s quick to replant, interplant and companion-plant, all at close spacings. Your total harvests increase, and you enjoy the beauty of a full garden.
Companion planting is about spacing and stage of growth, rather than liking or disliking. In the right situation, I find that all plants like all other plants, providing they have space to grow.
SUCCESSION IDEAS
First vegetable of a year and examples of second vegetable to follow.
Beetroot sown March - Leek, chicory, kohlrabi
Broad Bean overwintered - Cabbage, broccoli, many others
Broad Bean sown February - Beetroot, kale, chard, chicory
Climbing beans - Garlic
Dwarf beans planted early June - Autumn salads, , cabbage and onions to overwinter
Early brassicas planted early April - Dwarf beans, beetroot, carrots
Carrots sown early April - Cabbage, celery, beetroot
Celery planted April - Kale, salad onions, endive
Cucumber, ridge - Autumn salads
Fennel planted early April - Dwarf beans, beetroot, salad onions
Garlic - Cabbage, carrots, beetroot, kale
Kohlrabi transplanted early April - Summer squash
Lettuce - Celery, leeks, kale
Onion, shallot for bulb - Kohlrabi, Savoy cabbage, lettuce
Onions for salad planted March - Dwarf or climbing beans, summer squash
Overwintered cabbage, broccoli, broad beans, salads, spinach - Climbing beans, sweetcorn, squash
Pea first early and pea shoots - Broccoli, leeks, salad onions, beetroot
Pea, later varieties planted April - Carrots
Potatoes early planted March - Leeks, beetroot, broccoli, kale
Potatoes second early planted April - Leeks, kale, lettuce, chicory, endive
Potatoes maincrop planted early May - Cabbage, salad onions, broad beans to overwinter, garlic
Radish early sown, planted March - Winter squash, climbing beans, courgette
Salad rocket planted March - Squash, sweetcorn and much more
Spinach (not leaf beet) planted March - Carrot, beetroot, cabbage, kale
Squash all types planted late May - Autumn salads, cabbage and onions to overwinter
Sweetcorn early planted late May - Endive, cabbage and onions to overwinter
Tomatoes cordon - Garlic, broad beans
Turnips planted March - Beetroot, leeks, kale, carrots
My pack of Useful Information includes a 'Harvesting Timeline' which can be downloaded as a PDF: shop.charlesdowding.co.uk/products/charless-useful-information-pack-digital
00:00 Introduction
00:51 Peas Hurst Greenshaft - ideas for succession plantings
01:52 Soil health with no dig
02:04 No rotation
02:46 Having plants ready to keep garden full
03:08 Interplanting - sowing carrot between lettuce
03:57 Multisown beetroot, early harvest, interplanted with cucumber
04:56 Harvesting one beetroot from multisown clump
05:46 Covering plantings with fleece
05:59 Potatoes second early, will be followed by leeks
07:03 Watering plants close to harvest
07:15 Space from recently planted cabbage, options for second plantings
07:43 Fennel, soon ready to harvest, ideas for succession plantings
08:16 Onions, have had fleece over against allium leaf miner
09:09 Carrots between onions - when and how to harvest - then planting kale
10:13 Ideas for succession plantings on my sowing calendar
10:45 Sowing carrots direct, rather than transplanting
11:18 More possibilities for second plantings
Filmed 23rd May 2025, by Carly Dutton-Edwards in Somerset, UK, zone 8 temperate, oceanic climate
You can join this channel by paying a monthly fee, to support our work with helping gardeners grow better, and to receive monthly videos made only for members:
youtube.com/channel/UCB1J6siDdmhwah7q0O2WJBg/join
