Perennial vegetables live up to their name: Plant them once, and they reliably sprout, grow and produce year after year. Some common ones to plant are rhubarb, horseradish or asparagus. Though, in Charlie Nardozzi's latest book, The Continuous Vegetable Garden, he delves into perennial vegetables that go beyond the common ones.
This growing season, try planting perennial vegetables like onions, kale, daylilies and even hostas!
Perennial onions
Certain types of onions grow reliably and will come back year after year, even in our climate, like the Evergreen Hardy bunching onion. These are essentially scallions that gardeners plant and harvest in spring.
This year, plant them in the spring, then harvest most of them, but leave some in the soil to overwinter. Next year, continue to harvest most of the onions, but leave some behind. The onions will continue to grow and produce.
The Egyptian walking onion is another perennial onion to try. It will sprout and grow a cluster of small onion bulbs at the top of its leaves. Once the leaves are heavy with the small onion bulbs, they bend and when the bulbs touch the soil, they root and grow new onion plants. Both the onion bulbs and the green shoots are edible.
Perennial kale
Most kale plants grow as biennials; they'll grow, then die back, maybe make it through the winter, and flower and seed the next year. But there are some that are true perennials, like the Kaleidoscope Mix and Kosmic Kale.
These are hardy to around zero degrees Fahrenheit, so you may need to protect them in certain parts of the state in winter or put the plants in an unheated greenhouse to overwinter.
These kale plants come back every year and you can enjoy the younger shoots as salad greens and cook older, tougher ones.
Perennial edible flowers
Hemerocallis or daylilies deserve a place in your garden and on your plate, as well. Daylily flower buds and roots are edible. And rapid-growing hostas can also be grown as a perennial edible plant. In some Asian countries, hosta shoots are enjoyed when they first come out of the ground. They are used in soups or sautées or even dipped in a batter and fried.
The best time to plant garlic
Q: Hello! I wasn’t able to plant my garlic last fall because I was recovering from surgery. What would happen if I planted my garlic this spring, as soon as the soil thaws? I live in southern Vermont. - Bobby, in southern Vermont
A: Yes, you can plant it as soon as the soil is thawed out enough. The garlic will grow and form a bulb but it'll be smaller than what you're used to, as the bulb hasn't had a lot of time to build up resources.
The results will still be edible and tasty, though! You could even place some of the garlic bulbs or cloves into a container now, and as it sprouts, harvest and eat the garlic-flavored green shoots as they come up.
The how-tos of pickling cucumbers
Q: Hi Charlie, I love your program and I always come away with a new great tip from you. So here is my question: I have a fenced-in raised bed garden in Jericho, about 5 x 8, that I would like to devote solely to pickling cucumbers this summer. It gets sun most of the day. I am looking for your suggestions on soil considerations, seed recommendations, space allowances, watering, and any other tips you can arm me with before I begin this adventure. If all goes well, I will be putting up a lot of pickles this season! - Jennifer, via email
A: You could be the neighborhood "pickle person!" Cucumbers grow well in a raised bed with compost-amended soil, and they thrive with a lot of fertility.
Cucumbers also like water and warmth, so grow them in the sunniest spot that you've got. After the cukes begin to grow, make sure you have a trellis for them, too. One that is at a 45-degree angle works well; the plants can climb up and the fruits can hang down. That makes the cukes easier to pick and they'll encounter fewer pests and garden issues.
Consider trying a couple different cucumber crops in succession: Plant your first crop in May, then in late June or early July, sow a second crop. That'll push your cucumber harvest right into September. You'll have more pickles than you'll know what to do with!
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