ph: 361-935-1556
nancyk
April 23, 2021
by Gail Farquhar/Victoria County Master Gardener
Edited by Suzanne LaBrecque/Victoria County Master Gardener
PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY VICTORIA COUNTY MASTER GARDENER GAIL FARQUHAR
Okinawa Spinach that is ready to set out
PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY VICTORIA COUNTY MASTER GARDENER GAIL FARQUHAR
Artichoke buds at the Victoria Educational Gardens
PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY VICTORIA COUNTY MASTER GARDENER GAIL FARQUHAR
A 3-year old Swiss Chard plant that survived the February freeze.
Vist and watch any YouTube by Eric Toensmeier where he talks about Edible Perennials
******************************
Browse through Eric Toensmeier's website:
http://www.perennialsolutions.org/
*******************************
Perennial Vegetable Gardening DVD is available:
http://www.perennialsolutions.org/shop/perennial-vegetable-gardening-dvd
***********************************
If you would like to know where to find Katuk, Longevity Spinach, or some of these interesting veggies, shoot us an email or message on Facebook.
You might find this interesting:
***********************************
For more gardening tips and information, visit vcmga.org or the Victoria County Master Gardener Association Facebook page.
The Gardeners’ Dirt is written by members of the Victoria County Master Gardener Association, an educational outreach of Texas A&M AgriLife Extension – Victoria County. Mail your questions in care of the Advocate, P.O. Box 1518, Victoria, TX 77901; or vcmga@vicad.com, or comment on this column at VictoriaAdvocate.com.
My family thrives on nutritious, colorful and flavorful home-grown vegetables. I have found growing perennial vegetables is efficient and cost-effective.
What are perennial vegetables? Perennial vegetables are those vegetables that live for more than two years. Most vegetables we are used to planting are annuals and die at the end of the year.
Why grow perennial vegetables? By growing perennial vegetables, you can increase the variety of vegetables you cultivate but also avoid having to start seeds, purchase plants and replant every year.
Since perennial vegetables will grow for years in the same place, be sure your soil is rich and well prepared. Also, be sure to regularly fertilize them.
Sun and shade requirements will vary according to what you are planting. Be sure to research each species’ light requirements before planting. Many plants that need full sun up north, will need at least partial shade in our hot climate.
Many of the listed plants will die back to the roots over winter but most will come back from the roots in the spring. It is wise to mulch the roots deeply in the fall and uncover after the last frost. Moringa trees should be cut back to three feet tall, a wire cylinder built around them and the cylinder tightly packed with straw, hay, or leaves and left until the last frost is past. This technique works well on other fast-growing and frost-sensitive plants too. I bring cuttings of many plants inside the house or greenhouse every winter as insurance.
Some of the perennial vegetables that will grow well in the Victoria area include:
Shoots and leaves
Tubers
Flowers
Fruits
Hopefully, this article entices you to plant a few perennial vegetables this year. You will be glad you did.
ph: 361-935-1556
nancyk