Succession Planting: Dhania, Palak and Mooli All Winter Long
Succession planting means sowing a little, often, instead of everything at once, so dhania, palak and mooli keep coming from November to March instead of flooding you for two weeks and then vanishing. For winter pots in the plains, sow a small pot or short row of each every two to three weeks from mid October, stop dhania by about mid February, and plan each sowing to replace the one you are about to finish.
Quick plan
- Dhania (coriander): sow every 2 to 3 weeks, mid October to mid February in Punjab and Delhi; leaves in roughly 5 to 7 weeks
- Palak (spinach): every 3 to 4 weeks, October to January; cut and come again for several pickings
- Mooli (radish): every 2 to 3 weeks, September to January; small types ready in about a month, desi long types later
- Pots per crop: 3 to 4 small pots in rotation beats one big one
- Karachi: start in November, finish by late January as heat returns early
- Islamabad, Peshawar: pause sowing in the coldest weeks of late December and January, when germination crawls
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What is succession planting, and why does it work?
Leafy herbs and roots have a short harvest window. Dhania is at its best for a few weeks, then the plant starts to stretch upwards and flower. Mooli turns pithy and hot if left too long. Sow a whole packet in one go and most of it is wasted.
Staggering fixes the timing. Each new sowing comes into harvest as the last one fades, so your kitchen sees a steady handful instead of a glut. The same total seed, spread over time, gives you far more useful food.
The month by month windows for each crop live in our kitchen garden sowing calendar. This guide is about the rhythm inside those windows.
How often should you sow coriander?
Every two to three weeks through its cool season. A 20 to 25 cm wide pot (about 4 to 5 litres) sown thickly gives a family of four a couple of good cuttings. With three or four such pots on a rotation, one is always ready.
- Lightly crush the round seed between two palms or under a rolling pin, splitting it into halves. This helps it germinate more evenly.
- Soak the halves in water for 8 to 12 hours.
- Scatter them over moist potting mix, cover with about 0.5 cm of mix, and keep evenly damp.
- Expect seedlings in about 1 to 2 weeks; they are slower in cold spells.
- Start cutting outer stems when plants are 10 to 15 cm tall.
- Sow the next pot when the current one shows its first true leaves.
If dhania refuses to sprout or flowers early, our fix guide for hara dhania not growing walks through the usual causes.
How do you get continuous palak?
Palak gives repeated harvests from one sowing if you cut leaves rather than whole plants, so it needs fewer successions than dhania.
- Sow a trough or a 30 cm wide pot every three to four weeks from October to January.
- Pick the outer leaves when they are hand sized, always leaving the central heart.
- Feed lightly with compost or a liquid compost tea every few weeks after the second picking.
- When a plant sends up a thick central stalk, it is bolting: pull it and resow.
Pot sizes, mix and care for palak, methi and sarson are in our guide to growing palak, methi and sarson in pots.
Should you sow radish every two weeks?
Yes, and in small amounts. Mooli is ready fast and does not wait for you: once mature, it turns woody and pungent within a week or two. Sow a short row or one deep pot (at least 25 to 30 cm deep for long desi mooli, 15 cm for small round types) every two to three weeks. Pull roots when the shoulders show at the soil and are the thickness you like. Young mooli leaves are good cooked too.
The sticky note rule
Write the next sowing date on a piece of masking tape stuck to the pot you just sowed. When that date arrives, sow the next pot and write its follow-up date. It sounds silly; it is the single habit that keeps most home gardeners from missing a sowing.
A sample October to February calendar (Lahore, Faisalabad, Delhi)
| Fortnight | Sow | Harvesting |
|---|---|---|
| Mid October | Dhania 1, palak 1, mooli 1 | Nothing yet |
| Early November | Dhania 2, mooli 2 | Nothing yet |
| Mid November | Dhania 3, palak 2 | Mooli 1 |
| Early December | Dhania 4, mooli 3 | Dhania 1, palak 1, mooli 2 |
| Late December | Palak 3 | Dhania 2, palak 1 |
| Mid January | Dhania 5, mooli 4 | Dhania 3, mooli 3, palak 2 |
| Early February | Last dhania | Dhania 4, palak 2 and 3 |
| Late February | Switch pots to summer herbs | Last dhania, mooli 4 |
Cold snaps slow everything, so a December sowing may take longer than an October one; the calendar shifts, not breaks.
When should you stop sowing?
As days lengthen and nights warm in late February and March, dhania and palak bolt fast, sending up flower stalks within weeks of sowing. In the Punjab plains and Delhi, stop dhania around mid February and palak in late January. Mooli can go a little longer but turns hot and woody in warmth. In Karachi and the hot south (Multan, Sukkur, Bahawalpur), end everything about two to three weeks earlier. In the hills, the main season runs later, from March onward, after hard frosts.
Let one dhania pot flower and set seed at the end. Bees and hoverflies love the flowers, and dry seed gives you next October’s sowing.
Use only seed sold for sowing or kitchen seed you trust; seed treated with fungicide is often dyed pink, blue or green, must never be eaten, and should be kept out of reach of children. Wash every harvest before eating, especially if neighbours spray nearby. If you use any pesticide, choose organic options first, read the label for the waiting time before harvest, wear gloves, and keep children and pets away until it dries. Leafy greens grown near busy roads or industrial units may pick up dust and metals; wash well, or grow them further back.
Succession sowing questions
What is succession planting?
It is sowing small batches of the same crop at regular intervals so harvests overlap and never stop. It suits quick crops such as dhania, palak, mooli and salad leaves.
How often should I sow coriander for a continuous supply?
Every two to three weeks during the cool season. Three or four small pots in rotation usually keep a family supplied.
How can I get continuous palak at home?
Pick outer leaves only and leave the heart, and sow a fresh pot every three to four weeks from October to January.
Can I sow radish every two weeks?
Yes. Small regular sowings stop mooli turning woody, since roots spoil fast once mature.
Why does my dhania flower so quickly?
Warmth and lengthening days trigger flowering. Late sowings, heat stress or very dry soil make it worse; sow in cool months and keep the mix evenly moist.
Can I do succession planting in pots?
Yes, it works especially well in pots. Use several smaller pots instead of one large one and sow them one at a time.
What vegetables are best for succession planting?
Fast crops: dhania, palak, methi, mooli, salad leaves, spring onions and baby gajar. Slow crops such as gobi or garlic need only one sowing.
Can I reuse the same pot soil for the next sowing?
Yes, after removing old roots and mixing in a few handfuls of compost. Rotate crops of different families where you can.
More seasonal planning lives in our Kitchen Garden section.