Yearly Returning Crop Vegetables: Cultivate Plants That Regrow Themselves Annually
In the world of horticulture, perennial vegetables are becoming increasingly popular among gardeners. These plants, which live for more than two years, offer a variety of tastes, uses, and cultural needs, making them a low-maintenance addition to gardens.
One such perennial vegetable is the Walking Stick or Jersey cabbage, a large plant with edible leaves that can be harvested from early to mid-fall. It's important to note that this vegetable should be cooked prior to eating.
Welsh onions, another perennial, produce mild onion-flavored greens throughout the year, making them a great choice for year-round gardening.
Water celery, with a taste combining celery and parsley, is easy to grow from transplants or seed.
Artichokes, known for their edible flower buds and vibrant purple flowers, are another perennial vegetable that thrives in mild climates. They need protection from extreme cold.
Perennials like rhubarb, asparagus, sorrel, and artichoke extend the growing season and often require less care than annual vegetables.
Rhubarb, with its tart edible stalks, requires fertile, well-drained soil and full sun to partial shade. It grows best in temperate zones. Asparagus, on the other hand, prefers deep, well-drained soil with plenty of organic matter and full sun exposure.
Sorrel (Rumex acetosa) is a perennial vegetable that thrives in USDA zones 3–7, growing up to 1½ to 2 feet tall and wide. It prefers full sun and average, well-drained soil, and is quite adaptable with water needs, tolerating occasional deep watering and some drought.
Artichokes, a perennial thistle, thrives in well-drained soil and full sun.
In general, perennial vegetables often prefer full sun and well-drained soil and can be a low-maintenance addition to gardens since they do not require yearly replanting. Many herbaceous perennials survive winter by underground structures like roots or rhizomes, with the aboveground parts dying back seasonally.
For optimal growth, choosing a site with good air circulation and preparing fertile soil is important to support perennial crops. Perennials typically have a limited harvest season each year but then sustain themselves naturally afterward.
Some perennial vegetables, like artichokes and sunchokes, should be divided in the spring or fall to maintain their health and productivity. French sorrel can be eaten fresh or cooked, and Good King Henry can be harvested as shoots in the spring and leaves through the late summer.
Sunchokes, or Jerusalem artichokes, are perennial vegetables grown for their small, sweet tubers and are related to the sunflower. French sorrel is a perennial vegetable known for its sour, lemony flavor and dark green leaves. Skirret is a low-maintenance crop grown for its sweet-flavored roots.
If you're looking for long-term, reliable garden plants that return each year with relatively low upkeep, perennial vegetables are a great choice. Examples like asparagus, sorrel, rhubarb, and artichoke illustrate a variety of tastes and uses as well as cultural needs.
Amy Grant, a professional chef and caterer with expertise in culinary gardening, has been gardening for 30 years and writing for 15. Melanie Griffiths serves as the Editor in Chief.
Some perennial vegetables, like artichokes and sunchokes, should be divided in the spring or fall to maintain their health and productivity. Bamboo shoots need to be peeled before use in cooking. Ostrich fern fiddleheads should be harvested when tightly coiled and just a few inches tall, then cooked for at least ten minutes to bring out their unique, crisp, and nutty flavor.
References:
[1] "Jersey Cabbage (Brassica oleracea var. acephala)". Missouri Botanical Garden. Retrieved 29 March 2023. https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=c1061
[2] "Welsh Onions (Allium fistulosum)". Missouri Botanical Garden. Retrieved 29 March 2023. https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=c1388
[3] "Water Celery (Apium graveolens var. secalinum)". Missouri Botanical Garden. Retrieved 29 March 2023. https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=c1277
[4] "Artichoke (Cynara scolymus)". Missouri Botanical Garden. Retrieved 29 March 2023. https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/PlantFinder/PlantFinderDetails.aspx?kempercode=c1366
[5] "Perennial Vegetables". Missouri Botanical Garden. Retrieved 29 March 2023. https://www.missouribotanicalgarden.org/Gardens-and-Plants/Plant-Finding-Tools/Plant-Finder/Perennial-Vegetables.aspx
- After establishing a thriving garden, the world of horticulture can expand further with the addition of perennial vegetables like cooking with tart rhubarb stalks or harvests of mild Welsh onion-flavored greens.
- For those seeking a fulfilling lifestyle, including food-and-drink and health-and-wellness aspects, home-and-garden pursuits like gardening sunchokes or growing asparagus offer low-maintenance satisfaction with long-term benefits.
- Incorporating perennials into a lifestyle of fitness-and-exercise and nutrition can lead to a diverse array of options, such as eating fresh Good King Henry leaves or tender Jerusalem artichoke tubers.
- The knowledge of perennial vegetables can be a beneficial asset in the realm of science, providing insights about plant growth patterns, cultural needs, and cooking techniques, which may inform the field of culinary culture.
