Best Perennial Vegetables: Grow Crops That Come Back Every Year

One of the most satisfying things you can do is plant a veggie garden. When plants don’t just die off at the end of the season and come back bigger and stronger the next year, it’s even more fun to take care of their own crops.

By planting perennial vegetables in your yard, you can grow more vegetables without having to buy new ones every year. There is another option: you can grow perennial veggies in pots if you don’t have much room.

Most of us only grow vegetables that only grow once a year, like tomatoes and potatoes. These plants die at the end of the season and need to be grown again the next year. But veggies that come back year after year often produce a bigger crop each time.

A lot of perennial species are also unusual veggies that you won’t find in stores. This makes growing them more fun and interesting.

1. Rhubarb

Rhubarb is known for its bright red stalks with big leaves that do best in cool spring weather. Put rhubarb in full sun and add well-rotted dung to the sides of the plant to feed it in the summer and fall.

Crowns should be planted 6 feet (2 m) apart and 2 inches (5 cm) below the dirt. This should be done in early spring. Don’t pick the plants in their first year of growing. After that, the plant will do well for another six to eight years. After that, it should be split in the spring or fall.

2. Asparagus

As with rhubarb, asparagus shouldn’t be picked in its first year. This plant comes back every year and does best when it comes to cooler spring weather. Old plants may keep giving fruit for 10 to 15 years.

Add a 2-inch (5 cm) layer of compost to the earth before planting. Do this in a 6-inch (15 cm) deep trench. In the spring, plant crowns 14 inches (35.5 cm) apart and 6 to 8 inches (15 to 20.5 cm) thick.

Three inches (7.5 cm) of compost-rich soil should be spread out over the tops. Fill up the ditch all the way in the fall.

3. Artichoke

Globe artichoke is another famous vegetable that grows back every year. Not only do they taste great, but the plant itself is beautiful. Artichokes are in the same family as thistles.

If you ever leave the edible flower bud on the plant, it will open up into fuzzy, bright purple flowers that look a lot like thistles.

Put artichokes in full sun in soil that is wet but drains well and has been improved with 2 inches (5 cm) of compost. This plant can be grown from either seeds or root cuttings.

Plant 24 to 36 inches (61 to 91.5 cm) apart in rows that are 36 inches (91.5 cm) apart. Add 1 to 2 inches (2.5–5 cm) of compost to the dirt around the plants in the spring.In the fall, cut the artichoke back and use 6 inches (15 cm) of straw to cover it.

4. Sunchokes

These are not the same as sunchokes or Jerusalem artichokes. The plant is linked to the sunflower and is grown for its small, sweet tubers. Like the sunflower, it grows to be 6 to 12 feet (2-4m) tall. They will grow quickly, so they need to be kept in check and thinned out often.

Plants can be hacked like potatoes to make them produce more and be ready to pick after the first frost. In the spring, plant the roots right in the ground.

5. Welsh Onions

Most of the time, Welsh onions are grown as annuals, but they can also be grown as perennials. They grow mildly onion-flavored greens that can be picked all year long.

Plants are very easy to take care of; all they need is a little water every once in a while and full sun, though they can also handle some shade.

You can grow Welsh onions from seeds. They will grow into a clump that you can split in the spring.

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