Permaveggies: Harvest for many years once planted

Perennial vegetable plants - also known as permaveggies - are very important to us #Beetschwestern, because they promise a return yield with very little work. This year, we will therefore be planting lots of permaveggies in our vegetable patch, which we planted two years ago using the no-dig method. Once established, these vegetables are very easy to handle. They have the advantage that they don't need to be sown or planted every year. These plants are also often more robust than annual vegetables.

"Permaveggies provide permanent ground cover and help to store CO2," says agricultural engineer Weidenweber, who is experimenting with permaveggies in her own garden. They only need to be fed with compost in the spring and possibly in the fall, otherwise they do not require any additional attention. Some species are very vigorous and like to spread, so we have to be a little careful with them - for example Jerusalem artichokes. There's only one thing to do: harvest often!

Permaveggies for beginners

Winter hedge onion (Allium fistulosum) are a good perma-veggie variety for beginners and will delight us for many years. They can be divided after a few years to rejuvenate and propagate them. Bunching onion (Allium x proliferum) and wild garlic (Allium angulosum) are also good starter plants.

We would very much like to work with Asparagus because it is so beautiful and handsome when fully grown. However, it needs three years to establish itself, so patience is required, which we don't have too much of. It prefers sandy soil, which is also a bit of a challenge with our clay soil. Nevertheless, it is at the top of our permaveggies wish list.

Perpetual cabbage is a good perennial variety for cabbage lovers. It is propagated by cuttings because it never flowers and grows like a tree. It is an old cultivar from Belgium and grows up to ten years old. Everlasting cabbage can reach a considerable size, which should be taken into account when planting. It can be harvested all year round and sprouts again like a bush.

Here are some more perennial vegetables:

• Artichoke (needs quite a lot of space)
• Asian salad
• Wild garlic
• Tree spinach
• Watercress
• Perpetual cabbage (described above)
• Lamb's lettuce
• Oat root
• Potatoes
• Garlic (e.g. elephant garlic, chives)
• Krenn / Horseradish
• Swiss chard (needs quite a lot of space)
• Radish
• Spinach
• Rhubarb (needs quite a lot of space)
• Summer purslane
• Asparagus (see above)
• Jerusalem artichoke (see cover photo - can multiply very strongly)
• Wild rocket
• Winter hedge bulbs (see above)
• Winter postelein / Winter purslane

Most herb species are also perennial!

If you want to learn more about permaveggies, you can attend a one-day course at the Arche-Noah association in Schiltern or the Permaculture Academy Austria, for example.

Have fun with your permaveggies! Your #Beetschwestern