Sow little and often to iron out the boom-and-bust patterns of veg gardening, when one moment you’ve got nothing to eat and the next, 20 lettuces are ready to eat at once. Harvest them all and you’re back to square one, having to wait a month or so before the next crop is ready.
Successional sowing, as it’s known, avoids this cycle of glut and gloom, providing a steady supply of just the amount you need over a long period. The trick is to sow just what you’re likely to need at any one time: the best way to ensure this is to put in just half a seed tray, or half a row sown direct. This gives you about 10-12 plants – enough to feed your family yet not so many you’ll have to let some go to waste.
As soon as you’ve sown them, mark your calendar to remember to do it again in about three weeks’ time. The second batch should be popping up just as you’re harvesting the first, and as you finish picking, your new crop is ready to take over. Keep this up right through the season with salad crops, carrots, beetroot and annual herbs for a constant supply from May to November.
