Plant Once for Endless Harvest

My (unplanned, but fun) hiatus has ended and I missed y'all so much!

Editor’s Note: I’m so happy to be back on Substack. This was the only online place I missed during my extended break. I’ll be publishing a new article each Tuesday and Thursday. An rare extra piece may appear on other days here and there, but you can plan on something each T & T.

In the small farming world, there’s something truly magical about planting once and harvesting for years in the future. Obviously, here at Gluck Farms, we have a very long list of annuals we plant each season, but why not kick back and let some perennial varieties share their edible gifts as well?

I’ve listed eight perennial veggies and herbs, many of which we already have growing on our property, but some we’ll be starting this year.

Asparagus. Starting with a classic - the noble asparagus — the crown jewel of perennials. You’ll need some patience with this crop. It takes about two or three years to become established and begin proper production. This vitamin C rich vegetable can grow for up to 20 years. Plant them deep in part shade and wait. Pro tip: Keep the asparagus area well weeded or it may not thrive.

Here’s how asparagus looks when the spears pop up

Rhubarb.Tangy, tart, and delicious in pies, jams, and sauces. It grows in climates as cold as Alaska and Siberia. It does well in areas where the summer temps don’t typically rise above 75F, so that rules it out for us until we get to our property in Idaho. PennState Extension claims rhubarb provides Vitamin K along with Vitamins C and A and other nutrients. After five years, dig up the roots to divide them. Baby rhubarbs! Bonus: This recipe looks great

Chives. Who needs onions when you’ve got chives? We grow garlic chives and regular onion chives and we use them often for making homemade ranch dressing and many other dishes. The feathery green lovelies add a pop of flavor to everything from dressings to soups to bread and meats. Plant them in pots or along borders of raised beds. if you live in a cold climate, bring pots inside for winter. Bonus: Chive flowers are edible too and also make a stunning garnish.

Jerusalem Artichoke. People say Jerusalem artichokes aren’t named for the Holy Land. Really? Whatever. These wonderful globes have a delicious nutty (sort of) flavor and can thrive in almost any soil type. They get quite large. We planted ours closer together than we should have and they’re crowded, but that doesn’t seem to bother them. They can grow to three or four feet wide and five or more feet tall (at least our did) and they produce for five or more years. 

Artichoke pics — a globe and a bloom

Mint. this indomitable herb comes in more varieties to count. We grow regular mint, spearmint, peppermint, and chocolate mint. We had some pineapple mint, but it didn’t survive. Plant these in pots or in a specific area of your property because they’re little green invaders (much like the invaders streaming across our border, but tastier and never violent).

We love eating lamb, so last year we canned copious amounts of mint sauce and jelly. Use it for a jaunty mojito or to add zing to chicken, salads, creamy dressings, and desserts. Seriously though, be careful. If not kept in check, it’ll take over your garden. 

A picture of my favorite use for mint!

Horseradish. Its pungent aroma and sharp flavor isn’t for snowflakes and whiners — at least not full strength. Plant this root vegetable in well-drained soil with lots of sunlight (unless you live in Texas — IYKYK) and it’ll thrive for years as long as it has plenty of room to grow.

I’ve wanted to find some horseradish for our little farm for longer than Biden has loved sniffing little kids, but can’t seem to find it around here. But I’m not giving up the search. Not ever.

Berry Bushes. Berries like blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, gooseberries, currants, etc., grow fairly easily in most parts of North America. Strawberries require more doting and attention than most berries, but a well attended patch can produce for years to come. We have blackberries and will plant two more bushes this year as well as adding blueberries. 

One of several jars of blackberries we collected for tarts and cobblers

Garlic. Garlic isn’t perennial in all areas, but it’s worth it if you can pull it off. This is our first year growing it — we planted it this past autumn — and I’m excited for our first harvest in late spring. We use so much of it nearly everyday for our meals. Although it isn’t expensive at the market, it’ll be nice to have our own on hand rather than buying it. We have grown wild Texas garlic in the past. The taste was very mild compared to typical garlic, so we opted to switch. 

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Egyptian Walking Onions. We’re growing a couple of varieties of onions this year as well as shallot, but I want to grow these because of the quirky name. A friend of mine grows them and she says they produce in clusters of bulbs and when their tall stalks grow too heavy, they bend over and plant themselves in the ground. This explains the name ‘walking onions.’ 

These and the countless other perennial veggies and herbs are a secret weapon for any gardener or farmer hoping to save time. I’ve left out so many — sweet potatoes, sorrel, sage, rosemary, turmeric, ginger and more. 

My purpose with this article is to encourage readers to grow something, anything this spring. I’d love to see photos of what you grow!