Perennial Vegetables & Super Self Seeders

For several years now, gardening has become more and more a time consuming function of our family. It dawned on me, there's got to be an easier way to "Grow Your Own". There have to be SOME perennial vegetables, right? If you read my asparagus article, you know there's at least one, but I was curious to know more. "Super self seeders" are includes in this article too, meaning plants reseeding with no extra effort on my part. Honestly, some plants, it's hard to tell if they're reseeding or resprouting.

Let me clarify by saying, much of my descriptions on these plants, is just my experience, and may not be the behavior of these plants accross the board. We live in zone 7 of Alabama, so we're speaking of plant behavior in this location. Also, some of these plants I've never grown and am just sharing what I've learned from others:

-- Asparagus - See my earlier article for more on this great plant. It will produce up to 25 years and is a very pretty fern during it's off season. If you buy all males, they'll produce more. If you buy females, you'll end up with lots of baby asparagus. Either way, they're perennials.

-- Fruit Trees: I'm not arguing against buying your fruit trees from reputable nurserys where they'll place one variety of fruit tree on another's rootstock for various reasons, but I've known many people to grow from seed/pit with great success. It takes longer and you might (or might not) have a wimpier tree. If money's tight, experiment with a seed or pit. Can't hurt. If you are interested in growing fruit trees, definitely do your research before selecting a variety. Some are more work them others. Some need more/less water. Some produce more/less fruit. Some require polinators or more than one pollinator! I made the mistake of buying a Mutsu (or Crispin) apple tree. This tree has sterile pollen meaning it requires two other varieties. One to pollinate it, and another to pollinate the pollinator. I ended up with three apple trees when all I really wanted was one. Live and learn.

• Apples - Granny Smith is a good variety for Alabama. Some even claim it's a self - pollinator. Besides crab apples, it's one of very few 'self pollinating' apple trees, though the tree experts say it will produce much better with a cross pollinator (another variety of apple tree).
  
• Peaches - Very pretty and tastey too! Usually (if not always) a self pollinator


• Pears - Usually (if not always) a cross pollinator


• Figs -


• Pomegranite - always grown from seed rather than rootstock. Fairly unproductive tree, overall
  
• Mulberry - Makes giant blackberry looking fruits except on a tree


• Cherries - Will have to fight to keep your fruit. Birdies love this stuff.


• Plums - short lived for a tree


• Non-astringent Persimmon - oriental fruit, massive producer of fruit if grown properly. The non-astringent variety is better tasting, in my opinion, because you can eat it right off the tree when it's still firm like an apple.


• Citrus - Meyer's lemon, Satsuma (tangerines), Kumquat, Limequat, Lemonquat. These are all more cold hardy varieties of citrus than your standard variety but would still require protection in the winter. Meyers lemon is grown from seed (not rootstock) even at nurseries.

-- Nut trees:

• Pecans work alot like apples. You have to have two different varieties to pollinate eachother. Strange but true.


• Chestnut, (lots more I'm sure) .

-- Fruit Bushes: Do your research on fruit bushes regarding pollinators. Blueberries, for example, require two different species to pollinate eachother. Blackberries are fine individually.

• Blueberries - needs 2 varieties with similar bloom time to cross pollinate


• Elderberry


• Blackberries - in Alabama, you probably have some of these growing wild in your backyard, but there are actually cultivated varieties with fewer seeds, bigger berries, and fewer/no thorns


• Raspberries - self pollinating
  
• Cranberries - saw these for sale at Home Depot, surprisingly


• Currants - even the bark smells good
  
• Lingonberries - these berries are served at IKEA's cafeteria in case you're thinking "What's a lingonberry?"
  
  

-- Grape or Muscadine Vine - In Alabama, chances are you already have some muscadine growing somewhere in your backyard, but there are great cultivated varieties available too, particularly at Petals From The Past in Jemison, Alabama. They have a u-pick orchard, and offer classes on growing techniques. Great place.

-- Kiwi Vine - This plant has weed-like growth habits and requires regular pruning. It's heavy and destructive without proper support. Must have a male and a female to produce fruit. Takes 5-7 years to start fruiting. There are the "fuzzy kiwis" like you see in the grocery store, the smooth variety, and even a golden variety. The golden variety is interestingly different, a little softer and less tangy than the fuzzy variety. I vote for the green stuff. The kid votes for the gold.

-- Rhubard: This plant will keep producing for up to 20 years. It can be used to make pie and jams. Never even tasted the stuff.

-- Artichoke - Each exotic looking plant grows to about 6 feet in height & diameter. The bush produces approximately 40-60 veggies per season, once mature. Harvest from spring through autumn. The plants lifespan is five years. The vegetable will stay fresh once picked for a few weeks.

-- Passion Flower - This is a BEAUTIFUL flower and it makes an edible fruit too. I'm guessing it's reseeding rather than regrowing, because of how it's always moving around each year. I actually have it all over my backyard, and never knew what it was or that it was edible until some recent research. This year, I'll definitely try some.

-- Horseradish - this is a historical plant with references in Greek mythology and ancient Egypt. This low maintenance perennial's roots can be dug up in spring and fall, broken off, and replanted. New growth is the most tastey and pungent. The strong aroma isn't noticable until the root is ground up and exposed to air. Care must be taken to prevent this root from overtaking your garden.

-- Lettuce Plants:

• Arugula - That this plant is a perennial was a surprise to me, but it survived recent snow storms and cold winters fine in my garden. It not only is perennial, it's evergreen, and very, very prolific. It drops seeds and sprouts effortlessly. In case you are wondering what Arugula is, it's a nutty tasting lettuce plant. I, personally, don't like eating pure Arugula in a salad, but it's tastey mixed with Spinach, which leads me to the next vegetable.
  
• New Zealand Spinach - This is a spinach variety suited to hot weather and is disease and pest resistent unlike the standard spinach varieties. It's very good at reseeding and is known as an heirloom variety. Interestingly, the spinach is rarely eaten by it's indigenous people and is known more as a weed there.


• Radicchio - aka Chickory - It is perennial through mild winters. Haven't grown it yet, but plan to. Might be interesting to make the chicory out of it and add to coffee.


• Simpson Lettuce - haven't grown this, but it's supposed to reseed nicely.

-- Lots of Herbs (not a complete list):

• Parsley (biannual ot perennial, but combined with it's reseeding capabilities, it makes the list)


• Rosemary - evergreen
  
• Lavendar


• Sage - sticks around for as long as you have mild winters


• Thyme - It grows back, but always weaker than the year before unless you divide it


• Catnip


• Chives


• Garlic - So long as you leave a clove in the ground or else dry and replant


• Shallot - So long as you leave a clove in the ground or else dry and replant


• Mint


• Tarragon


• Fennel


• Lemon balm

-- Ginger

-- Strawberries - produces for 2 - 3 years

Learned quite a bit just from writing this article. Will have to try an all new approach in the garden next year. This year's mapped out already.