Often we think of taking the easy way out as a bad thing, but in gardening it can be best way to do things. One example is perennial greens. After getting a perennial green started and established, your yield is going to increase for years. You will also not have down time in your garden while you wait for seeds to sprout, then to mature, and then go to seed again so you can get the next generation. Perennial greens also give you a chance to nurse an injured or sick plant back that you couldn’t do if it’s life expectancy is only a few months. These are a few easy to grow super producers you should have in your garden.
Okinawa Spinach
Okinawa spinach is a hardy bush with leaves that are either green with purple on the bottom, or green on both sides. Its benefits are still under investigation but it is said to help lower cholesterol and fight cancer. It will flower and go to seed but like many other perennial it is better grown from cuttings made from the younger stems. When harvesting it is better to remove whole branches than to pluck leaves, the plant quickly recovers. It is best eaten raw or juiced.
Sorrel
Sorrel is a low growing plant that resembles leaf varieties of lettuce when it is young. As it matures the plant will grow in diameter but remain low. You can buy seeds, but once you get a good clump established, you can propagate it easily by using root divisions. Sorrel has a tangy taste that is a great addition to a salad, but can be overpowering if it is the base, and it is a great addition to otherwise bitter green juice.
Tree Kale
Tree Kale (sometimes called tree collards) is the king of perineal greens. It can reach massive proportions compared to other greens growing taller than 6 feet, and in full sun will also grow wide. Its leaves are thick dark green, but have a light taste. They can be eaten in salads as a base, added to sandwiches, are since an established plant can easily give you more than a pound of leaves each harvest and can be harvested regularly, even daily, it is great to juice. It may occasionally go to seed, but the seedlings are unpredictable and most plants are grown cuttings of smaller branches.
Instead of only planting and then replanting, make some room in your garden for the plants that only get better with age.
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