Successsion planting questions

[Jared77]

I've been reading up on this some and its got me wondering. I have access to a green house at what point is it no longer worth while to start them in there vs in the ground?

And how long can I/should I go between plantings? Is there a general guideline or do they differ? Say start tomatoes 3 weeks apart vs green beans 4 week apart? I know those numbers are probably off I just made them up for an example.

I'm trying to get smaller harvests spread out over the summer vs one big harvest where I have to drop everything and deal with 50lbs of tomatoes that are ready to go or lose them.

Thank you!!

Jared

 

[Ariel301]

As for the first question, that will depend on where you live.

 

[Jared77]

Im in Mid Michigan....zone 5 sorry about leaving that off

 

[dickiebird]

I would start tomatos in your greenhouse and shoot for a 3 week spread.
I don't know about beans, I have never started them in my greenhouse, but by the same token I have never direct sown tomatos.
This year my first planting of tomatos were drowned out with only 8 of an origional 50 plants surviving. I planted a second bunch about 4 weeks after the first and they were producing fruit 2 weeks before the ones I planted first...go figure!!!!

THANX RICH

 

[Ariel301]

I plant greens like lettuce/spinach/chard etc and carrots/radishes/turnips/beets in two-week intervals, so there is a fresh harvest every two weeks during the growing season. Beans and peas I did the same in Colorado where they could grow from May to September, but here in the desert they only grow for a couple of months in early spring, and then in the fall, so I just plant one big planting at each time. I don't know about tomatoes, I plant a ton of them so I have a huge harvest coming in nonstop (or at least should, in theory, it hasn't worked this year!)

 

[digitS']

Some lettuce plants, started about 3 weeks ago, were just set out in the open garden yesterday. The remainder of those plants will go in over the weekend. This is the 1st time that I have been this late with transplants but, sowing seed in containers and then setting them out has worked thru the summer, the last few years.

We have had lettuce to harvest every week of this summer. It has had to go in the shadiest part of the garden but this is really a lettuce-challenged part of the world with arid conditions and bright summer sun.

The lettuce has hardly needed the greenhouse and were actually set in front of its open door thru the day -- rather than back in the greenhouse where things can get fairly hot even with ventilation and fan. Still, it is a little more protected and can be tended daily in those containers.

The lettuce plants may not have time to grow before frost. We will see. September sown seed in the open garden garden doesn't work here.

I do an early and a 2 week later planting of most everything that is started in the greenhouse in the spring. That is more "insurance" than succession. Succession plantings are made in the open garden.

Indeterminate tomato varieties spread out their harvest season a good deal more than determinates do. Also, choose different varieties of things like corn for early, mid-season, and late harvests. Some things, like melons, may be crowded into a fairly short harvest season there in your zone 5 garden. Some things, like root crops, may stand in your garden for a few weeks and maintain their quality - leaving you more time for harvest.

Steve

edited to add: Welcome to TEG, Jared !

 

[Jared77]

Thanks for the fast replies and the warm welcome...I look forward to learning all I can here