How to Grow Perennial Vegetables
Grow Jerusalem artichokes., Consider growing globe artichokes., Think about planting cardoons., Plant asparagus in areas with cold winters., Grow horseradish in zones 3 to 9., Consider growing rhubarb in areas with rich soil., Think about planting...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Grow Jerusalem artichokes.
Jerusalem artichokes are a knobbly tuber that is usually prepared like a potato.
These can be very invasive so you may prefer to grow them in containers.
They do well in cooler climates and are best harvested after the first frost each year. -
Step 2: Consider growing globe artichokes.
Globe artichokes are grown for their edible flowers and make a striking visual addition to any garden.
They are available in perennial or annual varieties:
You can harvest from annual plants int the first year, but a perennial will not produce edible crop the first year.
However, once the perennial variety does start producing, it will regrow year after year in warmer climates (zone 7 or above).
Another advantage of the perennial variety is that it offers bigger crops than annuals when they do eventually flower.
These types of artichokes favor a sunny spot and regular watering., Cardoons are a lovely silvery plant similar in appearance to the thistle or artichoke.
They grow easily from seed, favor a sunny spot, and grow to huge but attractive garden plants which provide an unusual vegetable dish over winter months.
You’ll need to blanch the stems before eating them.
This is done by wrapping the plants into bundles, surrounding with straw and then piling up the earth around the plant. , Asparagus fares well as a perennial vegetable in areas that get a cold winter.
Although the beds take a few years to get established, once you have a thriving asparagus patch you can rely on a regular spring crop every year.
For more information on growing asparagus, see this article. , Horseradish is a strong-flavored root that is only needed in small amounts to add a kick to food.
If you are growing this root crop as a perennial, leave some of the root behind and it will regrow.
Horseradish will grow best in zones 3 to 9 in either sun or partial shade.
Grown as a perennial be prepared for it to spread – so consider planting it in a deep container if you want to restrict it.
For more information on growing horseradish, see this article.
The zones refer to the average annual minimum winter temperature in your area.
North America is split into 11 zones, each one 10 °F (−12 °C) warmer or colder than the one adjacent to it.
To find out which zone you live in, go to the National Gardening Association's website., Strictly-speaking, rhubarb is an herb rather than a vegetable but it is commonly treated as a fruit in the kitchen.
It loves a rich soil and does well in cooler climates.A rhubarb plant will often be productive over a decade but they will do best if divided every 4 years or so.
Rhubarb will benefit from a mulch of manure before winter sets in.
For more information on growing rhubarb, see this article. , Sorrel is a lemony herb that works well in sauces for fish.
In zones 5 or warmer it will grow as a perennial.
Unusually for a perennial, you can crop soon after sowing – often after about 2 months, making it a very early spring vegetable and salad leaf.
Sorrel will grow back after being harvested but the leaves turn bitter after the flowers appear so try to pinch these off as they appear.
It makes a very early spring vegetable and salad leaf.
For more information on growing sorrel, see this article. , Some plants can behave as perennials given the right climate.
These include tomatoes, sweet potatoes and peppers.
In cooler climates they will behave as annuals.
Some gardeners outside the tropics may have success getting these plants to behave as perennials by overwintering in heated greenhouses or conservatories.
However, this requires a lot of additional support and and an in-depth understanding of gardening which is beyond the scope of this article. , As perennials will occupy their space in the garden for longer than annual crops, it’s particularly important to adequately prepare the soil so they have lasting nutrition.
To do this, dig some organic matter such as mushroom compost or well-rotted manure into the ground ahead of planting. , It’s important to feed perennial crops with fertilizer to ensure the cropping continues year after year.
A general all-purpose fertilizer should be applied at least monthly during the growing season. , Larger perennials
- such as the globe artichoke
- will also benefit from a mulch.
Apply about 3 to 4 inches (7.6 to
10.2 cm) of an organic mulch (such as well-rotted manure) at the base of the vegetable plant to conserve soil moisture and suppress weeds.
The mulch will also help to protect the roots., Perennial vegetables generally take longer to reach cropping stage than annual varieties.
In many cases, you won’t be able to harvest any crops in the first year, especially if you are growing from seed. , There are some vegetables which aren't strictly perennial but can usually be counted on to self-sow.
These are usually annual plants which produce seeds that fall to the ground and grow on their own, without any human intervention.
Some examples of self-sowing vegetables include everlasting spinach, parsley, carrots and cherry tomatoes.
To encourage self-sowing, avoid planting the parent vegetable in grow bags or narrow containers, as this leaves the seeds very little soil surface to fall onto. , There are some useful vegetables that aren't perennial but live longer than annuals.
Biennials tend to provide two growing seasons and this often means two crops.
Examples of biennial vegetables include chard, beetroot, brussel sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, celery, chard, collards, endive, kale, kohlrabi, leeks, onions, parsley, parsnip, rutabaga, salsify and turnips.
Cold-hardy cutting celery can provide a crop in spring and fall.
Don’t believe people who say you can cut celery right back and it will regrow from the stump – this doesn't work too well in practice. , Once grown, potatoes are often hard to get rid of because it’s so easy to overlook a few smaller tubers when harvesting a crop.
These tubers will regrow the following season producing what’s known as ‘volunteer’ potatoes.
Generally this is frowned upon, because the tubers can carry diseases from one year to the next and the naturally-occurring spacing isn't optimal for a good crop.
Therefore, it’s best to discourage potatoes from getting established as a repeat crop.
If your potatoes do return the following year without invitation, it’s best to earth them up (pile some more earth or manure around the base of the potato shoot) to prevent them being exposed to light.
This will mean any potatoes you harvest won’t be green (green potatoes shouldn't be eaten). -
Step 3: Think about planting cardoons.
-
Step 4: Plant asparagus in areas with cold winters.
-
Step 5: Grow horseradish in zones 3 to 9.
-
Step 6: Consider growing rhubarb in areas with rich soil.
-
Step 7: Think about planting sorrel.
-
Step 8: Know which plants will behave as perennials in the right climate.
-
Step 9: Add nutrients to the soil before planting.
-
Step 10: Apply fertilizer on a monthly basis throughout the growing season.
-
Step 11: Mulch larger perennials to conserve soil moisture and suppress weeds.
-
Step 12: Understand that you may not be able to harvest any crops in the first year.
-
Step 13: Encourage the growth of vegetables which self-sow.
-
Step 14: Grow biennial vegetables which provide two years of crops.
-
Step 15: Be wary of "volunteer" potatoes.
Detailed Guide
Jerusalem artichokes are a knobbly tuber that is usually prepared like a potato.
These can be very invasive so you may prefer to grow them in containers.
They do well in cooler climates and are best harvested after the first frost each year.
Globe artichokes are grown for their edible flowers and make a striking visual addition to any garden.
They are available in perennial or annual varieties:
You can harvest from annual plants int the first year, but a perennial will not produce edible crop the first year.
However, once the perennial variety does start producing, it will regrow year after year in warmer climates (zone 7 or above).
Another advantage of the perennial variety is that it offers bigger crops than annuals when they do eventually flower.
These types of artichokes favor a sunny spot and regular watering., Cardoons are a lovely silvery plant similar in appearance to the thistle or artichoke.
They grow easily from seed, favor a sunny spot, and grow to huge but attractive garden plants which provide an unusual vegetable dish over winter months.
You’ll need to blanch the stems before eating them.
This is done by wrapping the plants into bundles, surrounding with straw and then piling up the earth around the plant. , Asparagus fares well as a perennial vegetable in areas that get a cold winter.
Although the beds take a few years to get established, once you have a thriving asparagus patch you can rely on a regular spring crop every year.
For more information on growing asparagus, see this article. , Horseradish is a strong-flavored root that is only needed in small amounts to add a kick to food.
If you are growing this root crop as a perennial, leave some of the root behind and it will regrow.
Horseradish will grow best in zones 3 to 9 in either sun or partial shade.
Grown as a perennial be prepared for it to spread – so consider planting it in a deep container if you want to restrict it.
For more information on growing horseradish, see this article.
The zones refer to the average annual minimum winter temperature in your area.
North America is split into 11 zones, each one 10 °F (−12 °C) warmer or colder than the one adjacent to it.
To find out which zone you live in, go to the National Gardening Association's website., Strictly-speaking, rhubarb is an herb rather than a vegetable but it is commonly treated as a fruit in the kitchen.
It loves a rich soil and does well in cooler climates.A rhubarb plant will often be productive over a decade but they will do best if divided every 4 years or so.
Rhubarb will benefit from a mulch of manure before winter sets in.
For more information on growing rhubarb, see this article. , Sorrel is a lemony herb that works well in sauces for fish.
In zones 5 or warmer it will grow as a perennial.
Unusually for a perennial, you can crop soon after sowing – often after about 2 months, making it a very early spring vegetable and salad leaf.
Sorrel will grow back after being harvested but the leaves turn bitter after the flowers appear so try to pinch these off as they appear.
It makes a very early spring vegetable and salad leaf.
For more information on growing sorrel, see this article. , Some plants can behave as perennials given the right climate.
These include tomatoes, sweet potatoes and peppers.
In cooler climates they will behave as annuals.
Some gardeners outside the tropics may have success getting these plants to behave as perennials by overwintering in heated greenhouses or conservatories.
However, this requires a lot of additional support and and an in-depth understanding of gardening which is beyond the scope of this article. , As perennials will occupy their space in the garden for longer than annual crops, it’s particularly important to adequately prepare the soil so they have lasting nutrition.
To do this, dig some organic matter such as mushroom compost or well-rotted manure into the ground ahead of planting. , It’s important to feed perennial crops with fertilizer to ensure the cropping continues year after year.
A general all-purpose fertilizer should be applied at least monthly during the growing season. , Larger perennials
- such as the globe artichoke
- will also benefit from a mulch.
Apply about 3 to 4 inches (7.6 to
10.2 cm) of an organic mulch (such as well-rotted manure) at the base of the vegetable plant to conserve soil moisture and suppress weeds.
The mulch will also help to protect the roots., Perennial vegetables generally take longer to reach cropping stage than annual varieties.
In many cases, you won’t be able to harvest any crops in the first year, especially if you are growing from seed. , There are some vegetables which aren't strictly perennial but can usually be counted on to self-sow.
These are usually annual plants which produce seeds that fall to the ground and grow on their own, without any human intervention.
Some examples of self-sowing vegetables include everlasting spinach, parsley, carrots and cherry tomatoes.
To encourage self-sowing, avoid planting the parent vegetable in grow bags or narrow containers, as this leaves the seeds very little soil surface to fall onto. , There are some useful vegetables that aren't perennial but live longer than annuals.
Biennials tend to provide two growing seasons and this often means two crops.
Examples of biennial vegetables include chard, beetroot, brussel sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, celery, chard, collards, endive, kale, kohlrabi, leeks, onions, parsley, parsnip, rutabaga, salsify and turnips.
Cold-hardy cutting celery can provide a crop in spring and fall.
Don’t believe people who say you can cut celery right back and it will regrow from the stump – this doesn't work too well in practice. , Once grown, potatoes are often hard to get rid of because it’s so easy to overlook a few smaller tubers when harvesting a crop.
These tubers will regrow the following season producing what’s known as ‘volunteer’ potatoes.
Generally this is frowned upon, because the tubers can carry diseases from one year to the next and the naturally-occurring spacing isn't optimal for a good crop.
Therefore, it’s best to discourage potatoes from getting established as a repeat crop.
If your potatoes do return the following year without invitation, it’s best to earth them up (pile some more earth or manure around the base of the potato shoot) to prevent them being exposed to light.
This will mean any potatoes you harvest won’t be green (green potatoes shouldn't be eaten).
About the Author
Jerry Martin
Enthusiastic about teaching DIY projects techniques through clear, step-by-step guides.
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