Maximizing garden yields

Vegetable crop planning and succession planting

By Cory McGinnis

The new calendar has been hung for 2026, checking off dates, marking them with appointments, meet-ups, chores, whatever you need to stay on track, or on a schedule. For January a lot of gardeners may be counting the days to the first seeding, cleaning up the winter vegetables or settling into the rhythm of winter with no agenda.

It’s like a brand-new notebook, full of all the possibilities for a new growing season. 

This January, the Sooke Garden Club will be joined by Lo Shrum (they/them) who for the past 10 years has worked on various farms across Canada, growing food for their communities. They started their own farm business in 2020 and The Greener Side Farm currently grows a variety of mixed vegetables and fruit, also raising pastured organically fed pigs and laying hens on the unceded territory of the T’Sou-ke nation.  

Lo Shrum will share expert tips on efficient garden planning to maximize garden yields through succession planting. Included will be techniques on how to strategically stagger and plant varieties of vegetables, and to plan for a continuous harvest throughout the season. Learn about soil health, planting complementary crops and crop rotation.

If you’re a beginner or have many years gardening experience, they’ll have something for everyone.

The Sooke Garden Club has been asked to find a new meeting location and will be doing a trial run for this meeting at the Christian Life Assembly building at 6851 W Coast Rd., next to the Wild Mountain Restaurant. All members are welcome to join on Wednesday, Jan. 28 at 7 p.m. at the new location.

If you’d like to become a member, visit sookegardenclub.ca, learn more on Facebook or Instagram, or email at Sookegc@gmail.com. Guests are also welcome to drop in for $5.