perennial vegetables

[claire]

Hi - next year I would like to plant some perennial vegetables in my small vegetable patch (14.5 ft X 6 ft with the last 5.5 ft tapering away to a point).

I've tried looking for ideas on the internet and found the following suggestions:

Daubenton’s perennial kale
Sea beet
Malva crispa
turkish rocket
herb Patience
Garlic cress
welsh onions
tree onions
wild garlic

Are any of these suitable for such a small plot? If so, which and how many plants of each would you suggest to feed a family of 2? (How big do they grow?)

Do you know of any other perennial vegetables that you could suggest?

Also, do you have any idea where I might be able to obtain either small plants or seeds of these?

I'm told that Daubenton’s perennial kale can only be grown from cuttings but I don't know anyone that can supply me with any!

Any help you could offer will really be appreciated so that I can plan early for next year. Thanks,

[gardening_guru]

Hello Claire,

I’m sorry but I have no experience of growing any of the perennial vegetables that you have listed. I’m not really keen on perennial vegetables because they do not fit in with my crop rotation plan. I like to grow a particular crop in a specific part of the veg patch one year. It then does not grow there again for 5 or 6 years, being moved around the veg. plot and therefore helping me to prevent a build up of any pests and diseases specific to a particular vegetable group or family. Its safe to say you won’t be able to rotate perennial vegetables, unless perennial becomes biennial! If I were to offer you any advice, it would as a result of research done, and it sounds as if you have done that already. I buy most of my veg. seed from The Organic Gardening Catalogue, you could ask them for some advice. I have also mentioned Bob Flowerdew in my latest diary entry, if he cannot give you advice personally or from one of his books I would be amazed; if Bob does not know, nobody will. He may well have a website, I have not checked this yet.

Sorry I can’t be of more help.

Regards, George.

[claire]

Thanks George - I've sent an email off to the Organic Gardening Catalogue. Would you like me to post the reply if it is helpful? Best wishes,

[gardening_guru]

Yes, that would be great Thanks Claire.

[claire]

A bit late in the day but I never got a reply from the Organic Gardening Catalogue.

I took your advice anyway and stuck to annual vegetables (with the exception of Welsh onions which I have in a trough tub).

I am having varied success but I think that is down to the poor quality of my soil. (I add my home made compost and the remains of grow bags that I have let rot rot over winter every year to try and boost it). It is such a tiny plot (a triangle maybe 18 ft by 9 ft) that proper crop rotation isn't viable.

Kale seems to do well every year and it has such a long harvesting period as you can just pick off what you want when you want. The Hungry Gap variety is a favourite as it provides both leaves and broccoli-like spears.

I will have to give that a miss this coming winter as I have grown it for 3 years. I've no idea what I can replace it with.

[gardening_guru]

Hello Clare,

A suitable replacement might be Spinach, it's so easy. It's good for you, you can pick it, cook it and have it on the dinner plate in less than 10 minutes. It's lovely as a healthy hot snack with a bit of grated cheese.

[saejtin]

It is a long time since you started this thread but I am selling perennial kale var. Daubenton for £7 inc p&p in case you are interested. You can pm me if you are. (I spent a long time looking for this kale myself (and for a long time only found other people looking for it) and as a result am trying to start a small business selling perennial vegetables.)