Perennial vegetables - simple and exciting

Grow your own

Just imagine planting only once and harvesting year after year. With perennial vegetables, it's actually possible - not to mention they are easy to take care of and provide large yields. But which vegetables are we talking about, and how do they become like this? Here we take a closer look at the survivors of the vegetable bed.

6 for 5

Hosta sieboldiana 'Elegans'

Ø11 cm, Green

Kr 89.90

6 for 5

Hemerocallis 'Joan Senior'

Ø11 cm, White

Kr 89.90

6 for 5

Levisticum officinale

Ø11 cm, Green

Kr 89.90

Diplotaxis tenufolia 'Wildfire'

Rucola / Sandsenap, Wildfire

N/A, Multi

Kr 39.90

Diplotaxis tenufolia

Rucola / Sandsenap, Organic

N/A, Multi

Kr 39.90

Allium ursinum

Allium ursinum 11,5cm

Ø11 cm, White

Kr 129.90

Allium cepa

Garden cress - 1 g Organic

N/A

Kr 39.90

Written by: Liselotte Roll

Swedish garden inspirer, journalist and author of books about nature, cultivation and animals, such as "Soil", "Grow for insects" and "Chickens as a hobby".

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Perennial vegetables bring joy year after year

Edible perennial vegetables are receiving increasing attention, and for good reason - they have many advantages. They do not need to be replanted every year, they remain healthy and require little care. Perhaps you already have some in your garden, such as rhubarb or chives?
In permaculture, it is common to use them in forest gardens where one tries to mimic nature's own plant life - and that is because perennial vegetables are so easy to work with. They provide a good framework in cultivation and can easily be combined with annual plants.
Once the perennial vegetables have established themselves, it is often enough to just pull out some weeds and occasionally fertilize with organic material, such as composted manure, compost or manure water.

Another advantage is that they hardly need to be watered, since the root system is often large and only requires watering in the first year and during drought. This makes these plants very climate-smart.

Good resistance to diseases and pests

In order to live for several years, one needs good survival skills. Perennial vegetables are generally strong and have good resistance to diseases and pests. Even snails avoid them in favor of more easily digestible, annual vegetables. The only downside in terms of their health is that they stay in the same spot year after year, which means it can be harder to get rid of diseases or pests if they were to appear. But overall, they are very easy to take care of.

Hold up well against weeds

Many of the perennial vegetables have large root systems and are not influenced in the same way by competing weeds as the annuals, which also start early in the spring and therefore gain an advantage. Some of the perennial vegetables can even be what we consider weeds, like nettles, but if we look at it in a positive way, they provide large amounts of food, both for us and for pollinators. And they are not just good, they also have a very high nutritional content. Perhaps a corner of the garden could be set aside for making nettle soup in the spring?

Lifespan and care

The vegetables that spread by seeds generally have shorter lives than those with proper root systems - trees and bushes live longest. It is safest to invest in varieties that suit your climate zone. Sometimes it is possible to create a microclimate where less hardy varieties can survive. What you should consider then is to give the plants a place with plenty of sun, shelter, and well-drained soil, such as in raised beds. In the first few years, most perennial plants should be harvested sparingly in order to establish themselves, but in the long run they provide large, reliable harvests. Furthermore, they appear early in the spring, so the harvest can often be earlier than with annuals.

Since many perennial vegetables are untreated and have been in nature for a long time, there are also many insects that feed on them. Therefore, they are an important part of biodiversity. So invest in some of them in the garden this year - they will give back a lot to you!

Tips: Feel free to grow perennial vegetables with cover cropping, as both plants and microorganisms benefit from it. There are also environmental benefits as it is water-saving and carbon dioxide stays in the ground.

Perennial vegetables to test

Flat-bellied Belgian roots: The taste of the roots is reminiscent of chestnuts.
Indian potato: The flavor is reminiscent of potatoes and beans.
Dogwood lily: The shoots taste similar to asparagus.
Daylily: The flowers and buds taste like beans.
Horseradish: Roots, leaves, and flower buds can be eaten.
Jerusalem artichoke: The Bianca variety produces beautiful blooms.
Hops: The shoots are eaten raw or cooked.
Sugarcane: Used like parsnips.

To the salad

Buttercup sorrel: Leaves can be used in salads.
Oyster plant: Leaves taste like seafood.
Star chickweed: A climbing plant that resembles spinach in taste.
Garden sorrel: Known for its sour, large leaves.
Watercress: Super healthy and flavorful; great for salads.
Stone mustard: Wild arugula variant.
Udo: Flavor reminiscent of fennel and lemon.
Lovage: A strong flavor enhancer, reminiscent of celery, often used in tomato sauce and stews.
Spanish chervil: Taste reminiscent of anise.
Bear's garlic: Flavor reminiscent of curry.
Sorrel: Noted for its sour taste.

Onion

Leeks: Can be used as a substitute for spring onions.
Wild garlic: Ideal for making pesto; has a garlic-like taste. The seed capsules can be pickled to create wild garlic capers.
Chives: Produce small bulbs at the top; both the bulbs and the stems are edible.

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Grow your own