6 Perennial To Plant Once and Harvest Forever
Why plant perennials?
Perennial plants help reduce soil erosion and do not require to be replanted every year. They also provide pollen, nectar, and nesting materials for birds and butterflies.
They are the perfect investment to get the most out of your garden budget and also give you more time to enjoy your landscape.
Most perennials are low-maintenance and easy to grow.
The difference between perennial and annual is that perennials can live for three or more growing seasons while annuals live for only one season.
With a little bit of research and good planning, you can create perennial combinations that work for your needs. Here are some of the most sought-after perennials:
Asparagus
An asparagus plant can last for 15 years. You can plant asparagus from seed or from one-year-old roots. Begin harvest after two years after planting crowns, and three years after planting seeds.
Asparagus crowns are usually available just once a year in early spring. So plan accordingly.
Rhubarb
Rhubarb is easy to grow and will remain in the ground for several years. It performs best in full sun. From the second year, you can harvest from April to June
Only the stems of rhubarb are edible. The leaves contain oxalic acid, which is toxic if eaten.
Kale can be planted anytime from spring to early summer. They don’t need much light. They need to be watered regularly.
Kale tastes best when it grows rapidly and matures before the heat of summer. Seeds will mature in 55 to 75 days and transplants will be ready to harvest in about 30 to 40 days.
Garlic
If you use a lot of garlic in your cooking, then it would be a good plant to grow. Garlic is planted in the fall because it needs a cold period to trigger its growth.
Garlic would take almost 10 months to grow before you can harvest it. Garlic also serves as an insect repellent in the garden. You can enjoy the garlic scapes during the summer. Garlic Scapes are the plant’s tender green shoots and have a mild garlic flavor.
The most common problem with horseradish is to keep it from growing where you don’t want it to. Try not to sever or cut any pieces off your plant when removing it, as it could lead to unwanted growth of new plants.
Horseradish plants thrive in full sun or partial shade and can grow in most soil types. Plant small pieces of horseradish root in early spring, two to three weeks before the last frost date in your region.
Chives
Chives can be used to flavor any dishes and even though they look like the grass they have beautiful flowers. You can grow onion and garlic chives as perennial edging or border plants. Chive flowers are edible too.
They can be harvested when they are four inches tall, before the flowers bud. Cut them with kitchen scissors or pick them with your hand.
This is the ultimate gardening hack, fill your garden with plants that come back year after year.