Been watching vids & articles about these perennials. Already got Moringa, Pigeon Peas, Sugar Cane, Sun Choke growing & Comfrey, Yallow, Purslane & others on the way. Learned about Bio Char, soaking some now. In the Amazon they found areas that treated with Bio Char & the soil is still fertile after hundreds & maybe 1K +yrs.
Thanks for posting this. I was planning to add Good King Henry to my perennial vegetable garden this year. I’ll look into some of the others on the list. I think sorrel and dandelion are also good perennials to grow.
I have a couple annuals growing that are so good at reseeding themselves, they function like perennials. One is an amaranth from the Caribbean and the other is cilantro. And, for foraging, lamb's quarter is an annual that readily reseeds itself and is a suitable substitute for spinach.
Yep , I started planting seeds when I was about 6 yrs old and never stopped. I try to help others learn whenever I can. YouTube is a great resource for learning about food and gardening. Search permaculture and homesteading.
You will enjoy them. When the pea pods ripen, and turn brown, they will explode in a spiral motion. Plants have spines to so be careful. I made hedges out of mine by letting then grow a foot each season and cutting the tops off. They get thicker and thicker that way.
They are what I consider to be a pioneering species. So they are really hardy/tough. They add nitrogen to the soil and drop leaves and pods to add mulch. So they will actually help other plants grow. They love full sun, but can also be grown under taller , established, trees. As long as they are not in full shade all day.
How tall did you make the hedge. Im very enticed by this plant because it is food producing and has mature heights that are much higher than fences you are allowed to build.
I would likely plant it in front of a chain link fence, keep a bit of space and let it get as high as I can reach with an A-frame ladder.
Also how thin can i make the hedge to make it impossible to see through when it has the leaves?
My hedge was about 7 ft but I could have stopped trimming it and it would have gotten twice that. I planted in two rows. about two ft apart. kind of zigzagging the spacing to fill in so that it would be good and thick when it matured. That is why I trimmed it after each season, from the first year, to be sure it put out lots of branches when it was still small. If you just let it grow it will get full at the top and thick 3/4 inch to 1 inch trunks at the bottom.
Take it easy eating the chokes. They have a strong effect on the digestive system , lots of gas. So start out slow until you learn how they effect your body.
Wild onions are all over a lot of yards. They can be used like regular onions, except for being a bit stronger. They are already in my yard, so I don't have to plant them. There are a lot of other wild plants that will grow in your yard without having to plant them. We have pokeweed (Phytolacca americana). Eat the young leaves only. Oxalis is a poisonous plant, but the oxalic acid makes the leaves sour. You can sprinkle a few on a salad with no ill effects. I chewed on leaves when I was a child, and I'm still here. If you want to get high, there are varieties of morning glories whose seeds can do the work of LSD if you consume a quantity of them. We even have some wild strawberries, but I hear there are some that are poison. Back in the 1960s, we had neighbors who ate them.
Everyone should look into natural wild plants in their area.
Most people today can't recognize even garden plants, so you can plant some along ditch banks in your area and not worry about someone else eating them.
We have blueberries, figs, black walnuts, and pecans. All of these were already on the property and old the first time I came here over 40 years ago.
There are plenty of books. Online resources need to be printed out and put in binders. I did this decades ago.
Been watching vids & articles about these perennials. Already got Moringa, Pigeon Peas, Sugar Cane, Sun Choke growing & Comfrey, Yallow, Purslane & others on the way. Learned about Bio Char, soaking some now. In the Amazon they found areas that treated with Bio Char & the soil is still fertile after hundreds & maybe 1K +yrs.
u/#howl
Honestly I'll plant the crops for the cows and chickens and bisons to feed on, and then I'll eat the animals..
Regenerative ag fren ?
yes :D
Thanks for posting this. I was planning to add Good King Henry to my perennial vegetable garden this year. I’ll look into some of the others on the list. I think sorrel and dandelion are also good perennials to grow.
I have a couple annuals growing that are so good at reseeding themselves, they function like perennials. One is an amaranth from the Caribbean and the other is cilantro. And, for foraging, lamb's quarter is an annual that readily reseeds itself and is a suitable substitute for spinach.
Don't forget purslane, Radishes, strawberries, Nanking cherries, Linden, beets, sunflower, dandelion, cattails, and antique fruit trees.
even annual varieties are fine just have to collect, save, and spread seeds.
Yep , I started planting seeds when I was about 6 yrs old and never stopped. I try to help others learn whenever I can. YouTube is a great resource for learning about food and gardening. Search permaculture and homesteading.
Yep, Geoff Lawton is his protégé check out his work if you haven't yet.
Awesome stuff! Thanks for posting.
Good to know. I tend to have a brown thumb.
Do you know if these crops will do well in a hot climate like south Alabama?
Thank you for looking into this for me. I would love to try these. Especially the Siberian pea shrub. I have the perfect place for that.
You will enjoy them. When the pea pods ripen, and turn brown, they will explode in a spiral motion. Plants have spines to so be careful. I made hedges out of mine by letting then grow a foot each season and cutting the tops off. They get thicker and thicker that way.
Thanks for the info. Do they need much sun?
They are what I consider to be a pioneering species. So they are really hardy/tough. They add nitrogen to the soil and drop leaves and pods to add mulch. So they will actually help other plants grow. They love full sun, but can also be grown under taller , established, trees. As long as they are not in full shade all day.
Thanks again. Great info
How tall did you make the hedge. Im very enticed by this plant because it is food producing and has mature heights that are much higher than fences you are allowed to build.
I would likely plant it in front of a chain link fence, keep a bit of space and let it get as high as I can reach with an A-frame ladder.
Also how thin can i make the hedge to make it impossible to see through when it has the leaves?
My hedge was about 7 ft but I could have stopped trimming it and it would have gotten twice that. I planted in two rows. about two ft apart. kind of zigzagging the spacing to fill in so that it would be good and thick when it matured. That is why I trimmed it after each season, from the first year, to be sure it put out lots of branches when it was still small. If you just let it grow it will get full at the top and thick 3/4 inch to 1 inch trunks at the bottom.
Take it easy eating the chokes. They have a strong effect on the digestive system , lots of gas. So start out slow until you learn how they effect your body.
Wild onions are all over a lot of yards. They can be used like regular onions, except for being a bit stronger. They are already in my yard, so I don't have to plant them. There are a lot of other wild plants that will grow in your yard without having to plant them. We have pokeweed (Phytolacca americana). Eat the young leaves only. Oxalis is a poisonous plant, but the oxalic acid makes the leaves sour. You can sprinkle a few on a salad with no ill effects. I chewed on leaves when I was a child, and I'm still here. If you want to get high, there are varieties of morning glories whose seeds can do the work of LSD if you consume a quantity of them. We even have some wild strawberries, but I hear there are some that are poison. Back in the 1960s, we had neighbors who ate them.
Everyone should look into natural wild plants in their area.
Most people today can't recognize even garden plants, so you can plant some along ditch banks in your area and not worry about someone else eating them.
We have blueberries, figs, black walnuts, and pecans. All of these were already on the property and old the first time I came here over 40 years ago.
There are plenty of books. Online resources need to be printed out and put in binders. I did this decades ago.