Succession Planting in Canada: Zone-by-Zone Schedule

If you've ever ended up with 20 heads of lettuce all ready at once, you already understand why succession planting matters. Instead of planting everything on the same day, you stagger sowings at regular intervals — so you're harvesting a little bit continuously rather than all at once.

For Canadian gardeners, succession planting is especially useful because our growing seasons are compressed. Getting the timing right can turn a 120-day frost-free window into a summer of steady harvests.

What Is Succession Planting?

Succession planting means making multiple sowings of the same crop at intervals — typically 7 to 21 days apart — throughout the season. Each batch matures at a different time, spreading your harvest over weeks instead of days.

It works best with:

• Fast-maturing crops: lettuce, radish, spinach, arugula, cilantro, bush beans
• Crops that decline after peak: zucchini, cucumbers, peas

It doesn't work as well with long-season crops like tomatoes, peppers, and winter squash — plant those once and focus on variety selection instead.

Succession Planting Intervals by Crop

Here are practical intervals for the most common succession crops:

Zone-by-Zone Succession Schedule

Zone 3 (Northern Manitoba, Northern Ontario, Northern Prairies)

Frost-free window: ~90–100 days (late May to mid-September)

With a short growing season, Zone 3 gardeners should focus on fast-maturing crops. Start succession plantings as soon as the soil can be worked — typically late May. For beans, you may only get 2–3 successions. Lettuce, radish, and spinach are your best bets; sow every 10–14 days from late May through late July.

• First sowing: Late May
• Last sowing for cool crops: Late July
• Last sowing for beans: July 1

Zone 4 (Southern Manitoba, Saskatchewan, parts of Alberta)

Frost-free window: ~110–120 days (mid-May to early October)

Zone 4 gives you a bit more room. You can get 3–4 successions of beans and lettuce. Start direct sowings of cool crops as soon as the ground thaws — often mid-May. For fall harvests, sow lettuce and spinach again in mid-August.

• First sowing: Mid-May
• Last sowing for cool crops: Aug 10
• Last sowing for beans: July 10

Zone 5 (Ottawa, Winnipeg, parts of Southern Ontario)

Frost-free window: ~130–145 days (May 5–15 to Oct 5–15)

Zone 5 is succession planting friendly. Ottawa's last frost around May 9 gives you a wide enough window for 4–5 successions of fast crops. Direct sow lettuce and radish from early May right through to mid-August.

• First sowing: Early May (or start indoors in April under grow lights)
• Last sowing for cool crops: Aug 15
• Last sowing for beans: July 15

Zone 6 (Toronto, Southern Ontario, Southern BC Interior)

Frost-free window: ~150–165 days (late April to mid-October)

Toronto's last frost (around April 20–May 5) gives Zone 6 gardeners the longest succession window in Ontario. You can direct sow cool crops from mid-April through late August, and squeeze in 5–6 successions of lettuce and radish.

• First sowing: Mid-April (lettuce, spinach, radish direct sow)
• Last sowing for cool crops: Aug 25
• Last sowing for beans: July 20

Zone 7/8 (Metro Vancouver, Victoria, Fraser Valley)

Frost-free window: 200+ days

The Lower Mainland is almost year-round for cool-season crops. Succession plant lettuce and spinach through September and into October. Beans and cucumbers can be succession planted through late July. Fall planting of spinach and arugula in August through September keeps the harvest going deep into November.

Calculating Your Last Sowing Date

For any succession crop, figure out your last possible sowing date like this:

1. Find your first fall frost date at mygardenplanner.ca/frost-dates-canada
2. Add 14 days — crops grow slower as temperatures cool in fall
3. Subtract the days-to-maturity for that crop

Example — Zone 5 bush beans (55 days, first frost October 12): October 12 + 14 days – 55 days = October 26 – 55 = September 1 is your last sowing date.

Don't skip this math. Most gardeners stop succession planting in July and leave 6–8 weeks of potential fall harvest on the table.

A Simple Zone 5 Succession Plan

Here's a real example for a Zone 5 gardener (Ottawa-area, last frost May 9):

Late April (under row cover):

• Lettuce Row 1, Spinach Row 1, Radish Row 1

May 1:

• Lettuce Row 2, Arugula Row 1

May 14:

• Beans Sowing 1, Lettuce Row 3, Radish Row 2

May 28:

• Beans Sowing 2, Lettuce Row 4

June 11:

• Beans Sowing 3, Lettuce Row 5, Cilantro Row 1

June 25:

• Beans Sowing 4, Beets Row 2, Cilantro Row 2

July 15:

• Spinach Row 2 (fall crop), Arugula Row 2

August 1:

• Lettuce Row 6 (fall crop), Spinach Row 3

Continue each crop until its last sowing deadline. The result is harvests from late May through October.

Common Succession Planting Mistakes

Planting too much per sowing. Succession planting only works if each batch is small. A 3-foot row every two weeks beats a 15-foot row all at once.

Stopping too early. Many gardeners quit succession planting in July, leaving the August–October window empty. Cool-season crops actually taste better after the first frost — cold sweetens lettuce, spinach, and arugula.

Not accounting for summer heat. Lettuce bolts in temperatures above 27°C. Switch to bolt-resistant varieties or sow in a shaded spot during July. Resume standard succession in late August when nights cool down.

Ignoring germination conditions. Direct-sown seeds in dry July soil often fail to germinate. Keep the seedbed moist for 7–10 days after sowing, or pre-sprout seeds indoors and transplant.

Tools for Succession Planning

Tracking multiple sowing dates by crop and zone by hand gets complicated. The succession planting calculator at mygardenplanner.ca generates a complete sowing schedule based on your zone and selected crops — enter your frost dates, pick your crops, and get every sowing date mapped out for the season.

For province-specific planting dates, visit mygardenplanner.ca/planting-dates.

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Succession planting is one of the highest-return habits in the vegetable garden. A few minutes of planning in March or April translates into continuous harvests from May through October. Use the free tools at mygardenplanner.ca to build your sowing calendar before your season starts.