Succession planting is easy in a grid system. Every time a square comes open, we plant an appropriate crop there. This way we never have too much of any vegetable ready to harvest at one time. It also reduces the odds of a crop being completely wiped out by time-sensitive pest infestations or unfavorable weather conditions. If one square does poorly, the next planting will probably do fine.
We’re down to our last three buttercrunch lettuces. Only one remains in the garden, and two are in the fridge. These tender heads keep best with their roots still attached. They are delicious to slugs as well as people, so separating and washing the leaves is something of an adventure.
I had some basil seedlings started in the east bed, so I transplanted six into this open space. The next few squares that come open with be devoted to Cylindra beets, with hopes of a good crop for fall. Since the beet grows to be six or more inches long instead of round, and produces sweet greens, it makes for a very productive use of space.
