Topic: Ideas for a perennial veggie plot

[saddad]

5 star perennial broccoli, not sure how long it lasts, though  :)

3-4 years tops...

Babbington leeks are another species of Allium, they look a bit like leeks but taller and generally thinner. I could mail you some bulbils in the late Summer. Not sure how frost proof they are, mine survived fine but many people lost them this year, I think they need good drainage for very cold weather.
Scorzonera... better than Salsify and they do last several years getting fatter as roots.. think medium sized carrots but twice as long...  :)
Make sure you have French Sorrel for a good lemon taste but the larger leaved varieties are hardiest.
Good King Henry is OK... but like Sorrel has limited uses.
Skirret if the soil is very damp...

 ;D

[artichoke]

As scorzonera has been mentioned:

I once read, but can't find it again, that if you replant the growing top of the root, it will eventually grow another root. That would make it worth setting aside a permanent bed full of scorzonera at different stages of regrowth, rather than starting it off every year from seed.

Does anyone know if that is true?

Mine is entering its third year, and I am eating the young leaves in salads.

I very much like the idea of plenty of perennials, and am reading this thread with interest.

[gwynleg]

I may be being dim..... but I am interested in the scorzonera. Do you grow from seed one year but keep the root in the ground so it thickens over three years?

[artichoke]

I sowed the seed one spring (into loo rolls, planted out), and let them grow all summer before digging up one or two to try. Not bad, not large, good flavour.

I then read you could leave them over the winter and they would get bigger; the following year was very busy in many ways and I basically forgot about them, but admired the flowers. This year I read you can eat their young foliage, which is quite nice mixed in with other salads.

I am sorry I have not dug any up yet, and cannot report on the state of the roots after so long, so I'm not very helpful. But I am interested in the idea of eating the roots and replacing the leafy bit along with some of its root, to establish a permanent patch. I suppose I would have to label the eaten ones to remind myself to leave them alone for a year....

Last autumn I also put some self sown seedlings into a pot, where they are now coming up again, so they will be joining the group.

When I dig one up, I will add a note to this thread.

They seem to be robust plants with no problems, so I would like to establish a colony in a corner of one of my plots; a bit like established rhubarb, that comes up year after year with no fuss apart from a bit of compost thrown at it from time to time.

[saddad]

I keep a clump in one corner... that have been there for about 5 years to produce seed. I find they germinate best while fresh. I also have a row in the root bed, which are sown in August (where the root bed will be) grow through the year and are eaten about now as we clear the bed for potatoes... so they get about 20 months. This gives roots thicker than my thumb if thinned out a bit.
You then have to rogue out the plants as they regrow from the depths when you are digging the spuds out...
 :)

[detailista]

I've just ordered some babington leeks from here, seems very reasonable £2.20 inc postage for 15 bulbs ;D

http://www.specialistauctions.com/auctiondetails.php?id=1498790

have yet to receive them so can't comment on the seller but she seems very nice from her email today.

from the listing -


A strange member of the onion family. It is said to be a relic of Neolithic farming and grows wild in a few places such as Cornwall and Ireland.

When it flowers it sends up a stem about 6ft tall with small bulbils which can be used for cooking although they are fiddly!


The base bulb can be used too, to my taste they are more  garlic than onion, the bulb is ‘solid’ not in layers like an onion. 15 bulbils per pack.

This was a favourite plant of the gardener E A Bowles who used it to add height in his 'grey' border - there is a silvery touch to the leaves and they start early in the Spring but don't 'flower' until July.









PLEASE NOTE: I can only supply this item to the UK and Europe.

[Jeannine]

Oh lots more great info, this is becoming exciting.Thank you for the great onion link

I am hoping to do this on a high raised bed.. very high as is it for disabled gardeners. The drainage is excellent so no problems with that I hope. The rain here in BC in unbelieveable, it seems to have rained since August and is still forecast for the rest of April. Our regular plot is ankle deep in water, so eveyone os waiting for a break.

Oh and we just found out today that we have another plot..yeah!!

I have never grown sea kale but remember eating it years ago and it was good so I think I will go for that..does anyone know what it is like of not covered to blanch it.

Saddad, thank you for the offer..will Pm you.

So much to think about now.. much more than I realised.

Is anyone growing Deleway cabbage.

XX Jeannine

[goodlife]

Jeannine..there is quite few growers of Daubenton kale over the pond..
That is perennial kale that doesn't produce seeds..so it is propagated from cuttings..something else for you to hunt ;)

[Jeannine]

Thank you again XX Jeannine

[Spudbash]

Yes, seakale leaves and stems get quite stringy and coarse as they mature, so I wouldn't choose to eat them except finely chopped for, say, a stir-fry. They're pretty much a spring crop, therefore.

They set seed around the original plant pretty easily. I haven't tried propagating them, but I mention it in case someone else wants to try it.

Being a perennial, they're far less work than most brassicas. All I do is weed around them and put a large container on top when growth starts in spring, and other than that, it's just harvesting, really. In most years, I find the butterflies leave them alone - perhaps because by the time they come to lay their eggs, the leaves have toughened up. I don't bother netting them. But it's only fair to say that eggs have been laid once or twice...

 :)

[saddad]

We are growing Delaway cabbage... but as it is non-hearting we sow it later in the season and eat it over winter..  :)

[Robert_Brenchley]

How perennial is it?

[saddad]

I don't know... because we eat it all in Spring..  :-X

[goodlife]

Here is quite good list of perennial veg that can be grown..
http://www.perennialveg.org.uk/conversion.htm

[goodlife]

...and apparently Chinese broccoli = kailan..that is usually grown as annual is in fact perennial! ;D

[Jeannine]

I checked out the link from the auction site for Babbingtons and am confused.. she is selling bulbils, but I thought they had to be collected much later in the year?

I did find a source for babbington seeds but they had to be fridged and germination could be months..

My list is getting quite interesting now.. will have toi go and start finger walking foir sources.

Skirret eg..any clues.

Kailan I have, but hadn't heard it was perennial..

When is the best time to sow my Deleay cabbage please.

XX Jeannine

[goodlife]

Bulbils...She must have had them in storage to prevent them from 'sprouting'..usually you do collect them later on..as fresh bulbils. I was bit suprised to see them still offered this time of the year, but then again like with shallots and other onion sets..suppose babbingtons store too ???
I didn't know Kailan was perennial neither I just happened to to come across it mentioned on agroforestry web site where they list lot of perennial leafy edibles.

[Jeannine]

So to sum up, here is the list of evrything suggested.

Globe Artichokes
Cardoons
Asparagus
Jerusalem Artichokes
Deleway Cabbage
5 Star Broccolli
Chives
Garlic chives
Egyptian walking onions
Sorrel.. I am a bit confused on this one as to variety
Good King Henry
Leaf beet..perpetual spinach
Seakale
Scorzona
Salsify
Skirret
Daubenton Kale

and one I just remembered Chinese Artichokes, small compared to JAs but I used to have a source for them.

I still have to figure out the types of onions, therfe are loads on ther onion link but would prefer to hear from soemone who has actually grown some of them personall.???

XX Jeannine

[goodlife]

Code: [Select]

Chinese broccoli = kailan..that is usually grown as annual is in fact perennialHere is the link where I read it..http://www.agroforestry.co.uk/Catalogue200910.pdf..see page 35

[djbrenton]

Self seeding rather than perennial but I have areas of rocket, lambs lettuce and land cress that I only have to weed.