Author Topic: Perennial Vegetables  (Read 5902 times)

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Dorine

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Perennial Vegetables
« on: March 05, 2015, 06:35:05 PM »
I have a new interest that I'm looking into and was wondering if anyone here has had any experience with perennial vegetables. Here is a list of the ones I'm interested in but don't know where to get them. Can't find any Canadian source for them and the one US source I found says they don't ship to Canada.
  • Ramps
  • Groundnut
  • Good King Henry
  • Sea Kale
  • Jerusalem Artichoke
  • Lovage
  • French Sorrel
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Richard Myers

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Re: Perennial Vegetables
« Reply #1 on: March 13, 2015, 10:17:43 AM »
Dorine, my kale, chard, and collards are perennials. My artichokes send up side shoots.  I have just started asparagus which is perennial. It is nice not having to plant these each year.
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Dorine

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Re: Perennial Vegetables
« Reply #2 on: March 13, 2015, 03:19:45 PM »
Dorine, my kale, chard, and collards are perennials. My artichokes send up side shoots.  I have just started asparagus which is perennial. It is nice not having to plant these each year.

Thanks Richard I do have these come up every year. I'm very thankful for them but I wanted to expand my varieties of perennials. There is a wild sorrel that grows here that I use in salads. One is called wood sorrel and the other is called sheep sorrel. Maybe I will transplant them into some good soil so that they will grow bigger. The others I listed seem very hard to find here. In the spring I plan to order a couple of Paw Paw trees. Also called Custard Apples. They love the cold north and they say they are delicious. I already have raspberry bushes, blueberries, grapes and strawberries for fruit varieties. Just wish I had more. Have you ever tried propagating slips from grapes and blueberries? I tries once but they rotted on me.
But this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press  toward the mark. Phil. 3:13,14

Wally

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Re: Perennial Vegetables
« Reply #3 on: March 13, 2015, 03:52:19 PM »
Dorine, my kale, chard, and collards are perennials. My artichokes send up side shoots.  I have just started asparagus which is perennial. It is nice not having to plant these each year.

My understanding is that Swiss Chard is a biennial.  The few times I've had it overwinter, it bolted very quickly and went to seed.  So, even in warmer climates, I think it needs to be planted from seed every year.
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Vicki

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Re: Perennial Vegetables
« Reply #4 on: March 22, 2015, 10:09:19 AM »
I've had the same experience with chard. We get a few small early leaves, but mostly it goes to seed before there ever is much to harvest.

Richard Myers

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Re: Perennial Vegetables
« Reply #5 on: March 22, 2015, 10:13:23 AM »
I will take a closer look.  I have three or four plants. One is the mother plant, the others are seedlings from her seed.  The original is in its third year. It does have smaller leaves, but the plant is larger than  the first year plants. We have had warm winters two years in a row, so it is an unusual situation for us.  It is the first time I have had a perennial/biennial chard plant.
Jesus receives His reward when we reflect His character, the fruits of the Spirit......We deny Jesus His reward when we do not.

Vicki

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Re: Perennial Vegetables
« Reply #6 on: March 22, 2015, 10:20:30 AM »
I think you are experiencing the blessing of a warmer winter.

Dorine

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Re: Perennial Vegetables
« Reply #7 on: March 22, 2015, 11:49:11 AM »
I plant several varieties of chard plants but only one of them reseeds itself for me. I find them coming up like weeds all over the garden from the year before. The original plant goes to seed quickly and keeps me supplied in fresh seed. I wonder what they would be like for sprouting. I've never tried it but it's a thought. I tried sprouting my kale seeds but we did NOT like them.
But this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press  toward the mark. Phil. 3:13,14

JimB

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Re: Perennial Vegetables
« Reply #8 on: April 08, 2015, 05:37:19 PM »
This discussion now applies to me. :)  Last fall I left a role of kale in the ground because I wanted some until it could no longer produce. Today went out to the garden to dump some ashes on it and what did if find? I found my kale getting green leaves. This kind of surprised me until I remembered this discussion. At this point I'm wondering if it will produce as nicely as it did last year or will it go to seed like Wally said.
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Richard Myers

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Re: Perennial Vegetables
« Reply #9 on: April 08, 2015, 10:10:44 PM »
Chard, Kale, and Collards can live for at least two years if they make it through  the winter.  Not sure how long they can live.

The plants go to  seed the second year when the temperature warms up. Kale and Collards are really cool season crops. Kale is the most cold hardy. If you want seeds, you have to keep them going into the second year. Because of the unusual winter weather we have had, I wonder what it will mean for these three crops? Will they continue on? Or will they die?  My chard is in its third summer. Lot of smaller leaves.

How old is your chard plant, Dorine? How does it get through your cold winters?
Jesus receives His reward when we reflect His character, the fruits of the Spirit......We deny Jesus His reward when we do not.

Dorine

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Re: Perennial Vegetables
« Reply #10 on: April 09, 2015, 06:56:52 AM »
I plant new each spring but many volunteer plants come up from seed blown about the previous fall. These are the plants I usually save the seed from. Last year I had one chard plant in the green house that came up from the year before and gave me beautiful big leaves that we ate all summer. They were growing in the shade of my tomato plants. I'm still experimenting with chard.

It will be interesting to see what happens this year with all the snow that we still have. 3 ft of it still covering the garden. This time last year I had chard and kale growing in the garden and had my peas planted.
But this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press  toward the mark. Phil. 3:13,14

Mimi

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Re: Perennial Vegetables
« Reply #11 on: April 09, 2015, 11:09:02 AM »
 :)  I sowed 4 beds this morning and there was last year's kale 2" high! Wow! What a nice surprise!
  For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven. Psalm 119:89 

Dorine

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Re: Perennial Vegetables
« Reply #12 on: April 09, 2015, 11:30:03 AM »
Oooooooh I'm itching to get out there and feel the warmth of that black soil. How big are your beds Mimi? Are they new ones this year? You should get lots of seeds from that kale plant.

But this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press  toward the mark. Phil. 3:13,14

Dorine

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Re: Perennial Vegetables
« Reply #13 on: April 09, 2015, 11:40:44 AM »
Richard I didn't answer your question about protecting my plants over winter. I have a mulch covering of wood chips and chopped up leaves about 4 inches thick. I've even had some come up without covering them. The kale especially is very cold hardy. I do not have a problem with standing water in my garden no matter how much it rains. So when it freezes the roots are never in ice. I don't know if that makes a difference or not.
But this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press  toward the mark. Phil. 3:13,14

Mimi

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Re: Perennial Vegetables
« Reply #14 on: April 10, 2015, 06:08:36 AM »
Oooooooh I'm itching to get out there and feel the warmth of that black soil. How big are your beds Mimi? Are they new ones this year? You should get lots of seeds from that kale plant.

They are the same as last year. Approximately 2.5' x 4'. Mine are small but produce very well.
  For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven. Psalm 119:89 

Dorine

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Re: Perennial Vegetables
« Reply #15 on: April 10, 2015, 07:09:54 AM »
It's amazing how much you can grow in small area's. Do you use the square foot method?
But this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press  toward the mark. Phil. 3:13,14

Mimi

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Re: Perennial Vegetables
« Reply #16 on: April 10, 2015, 07:56:15 AM »
No, I don't. Each bed has the early, cool crops of spinach and a variety of lettuces.
  For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven. Psalm 119:89