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Post by directsunlight on May 9, 2014 21:05:52 GMT -5
Hi! Created a 10x6 bed for perennial vegetables/ edible plants. I put in marshmallow plants, horseradish, and artichoke. All 3 are showing signs of life-- wasn't sure if the horseradish roots I got at Kroger would do anything but they're starting to put on some green sprouts. Has anyone else had good experiences with these or other perennial vegetables?
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Post by tastyofhasty on May 9, 2014 21:47:00 GMT -5
okay I'll bite ... I'll say a word for Welsh onions. I've got three patches that seem to come back every year. They also produce seed every year. I'm not sure whether they're reproducing from seed or roots but one patch has been out there for several years and the other two have been out there since I planted 'em about three years ago. I like their taste better'n "walking onions," though the difference isn't extreme.
And I just found out that my "Babington leeks" that I originally thought were "elephant garlic" ('cause the old lady who gave me my starting clump told me they were elephant garlic ... took me years to figure out they were Babington leeks) can be dug/cut in early spring and the stem and bottom part used as leeks. These things are now all over my garden and seem to handle my heavy clay-and-rock Ozark soil with no problems.
I'd love to start some horseradish but haven't got a start. I planted artichokes last year but this past weird winter apparently killed them, tho' I grew artichoke plants that lasted several years and produced a lot of artichokes back around 2005.
This will be the third year my parsley has re-seeded itself, which is quite handy for salads.
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Post by garrett on May 10, 2014 1:13:04 GMT -5
the leeks sound awesome.done artichokes.werkin on onions/garlic to self sew here.
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Post by gardencrazy on May 22, 2014 13:53:06 GMT -5
My Jerusalem artichokes are starting to take over the world. It did take a couple years for them to get to that point though. They do quite well despite the critters nibbling on them during the winter. Last year for the second time, I planted horseradish. The first time I planted it, we had a really harsh winter and some desperate critters ate the roots! This year they have come back though. I've heard its mindless to grow (like the Jerusalem artichokes) once established.
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Post by gulfcoastguy on May 22, 2014 14:15:18 GMT -5
We've had bunching green onions for 30 years or more. we used to have asparagus but it was pushing the envelop in zone 8B, we only got to cut for 2 weeks each year.
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Post by directsunlight on Jun 12, 2014 8:42:09 GMT -5
Marshmallow plants, a couple anyway, are 2 feet tall now. One of them looks ready to bloom. Horseradish is growing well too, though I'm never been sure how to know when to dig up root crops. If I wait until frost like the books say, everything is bitter as the day is long. Artichokes are growing slowly, each with about 6 leaves. Do they get spiky like some thistles do?
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Post by directsunlight on Jul 10, 2014 11:48:17 GMT -5
More of the same-- marshmallow plants are 3 feet tall and throwing a lot of flowers. They will grow together soon and they were planted 3 feet apart. Horseradish looks pretty good except for one that's yellowing at the bottom.
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Post by directsunlight on Aug 23, 2014 0:40:44 GMT -5
Mske that tons of flowers-- I've started eating them just because they are edible, and have a faint marshmallow taste to them. If they were sweeter it'd be a whole lot stronger taste. I asked about the roots on the other post-- I tend to wait too long on the root crops or dig them up too early, one. Stir fry might be in the near future.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 23, 2014 8:35:51 GMT -5
Horse radish needs a collar or sumpthin' to leash up the rhizome growth. That bugger will conquer your world if no root barrier is in place.
Peel horseradish root in winter outdoors and grind it up with blender outdoors too. Two parts roots to one part white vinegar with a dash of salt per jar.
Prepared HR stores well in fridge.
A cold day, aught to knock down bitterness, and maybe just maybe tone down the Mustard Gass features of horseradish.
The first batch I ground up was in like October in NH, an' I done it indoors. I've never done that again, even with a fan...
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Post by gulfcoastguy on Aug 23, 2014 9:30:31 GMT -5
Thanks for the ratios on prepared horseradish. One of my recipes calls for prepared horseradish but all I can find in the stores is the root. I assume that it goes in a glass mason jar then in the fridge.
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Post by directsunlight on Aug 23, 2014 13:46:25 GMT -5
I do have a barrier but not sure if it's a good one- it's a ring of bricks. There's a set of tiles about a foot across between the horseradish and the marshmallow plants.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 25, 2014 12:48:10 GMT -5
Well horseradish isn't quite as invasive as bamboo is, but because it grows a lower profile I catch its escape later. About the time the neighbors show up with pitchforks and torches.
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Post by directsunlight on Nov 16, 2014 23:58:29 GMT -5
Going to dig some up if it ever warms up & dries out at the same time. Does horseradish freeze well? Seems like it'd be hard to use a lot at once.
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Post by directsunlight on Feb 23, 2015 5:07:28 GMT -5
Updating here... horseradish was dug up and what was left in the ground is resprouting. The artichoke drooped a little when we got down to 16 even with a cover but seems ok so far. A big test is here, sleet and everybody off work just about. Hopefully a sheet will keep the ice off. This late in the year should be our last bad weather as normal high is 63.
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Post by directsunlight on Feb 23, 2015 5:09:39 GMT -5
And yes, near wasabi strength if ground fresh and used right away. By the next day grated horseradish is as mild as the prepared sauce you'd get at Arby's or the store.
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Post by garrett on Feb 23, 2015 9:50:47 GMT -5
And yes, near wasabi strength if ground fresh and used right away. By the next day grated horseradish is as mild as the prepared sauce you'd get at Arby's or the store. heyyyyyyyyy ds how we be?smiles
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Post by directsunlight on Feb 23, 2015 11:42:01 GMT -5
Oh it's going ok. In the middle of track season, thinking about starting tomatoes but I used up about all my trays on herbs and peppers. Now will be looking around the house for random containers, whatever will fit on a windowsill and hold water!
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Post by garrett on Feb 23, 2015 21:19:34 GMT -5
grins..hows yer trees doing?
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Post by directsunlight on Feb 23, 2015 23:22:12 GMT -5
Nothing much going on with them now, hoping they'll wait long enough to bloom. They get fooled and start up too soon.
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Post by cliffrat on Feb 25, 2015 23:51:19 GMT -5
Speaking of perennials..... The wife wanted me to grow some asparagus this year, so I said "OK" and I bought some Jersey Knight seed. Then I found out it takes a couple of years before you get anything to eat from this little endeavor.....DOH! So now I have an 18 gallon container with about 12 little ferns in it and hopefully the rest of the seeds will poke up soon. I let them stratify in the fridge for a couple of weeks and just put them in the ground this week. Hope that wasn't a mistake.
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Post by garrett on Feb 26, 2015 10:59:29 GMT -5
Speaking of perennials..... The wife wanted me to grow some asparagus this year, so I said "OK" and I bought some Jersey Knight seed. Then I found out it takes a couple of years before you get anything to eat from this little endeavor.....DOH! So now I have an 18 gallon container with about 12 little ferns in it and hopefully the rest of the seeds will poke up soon. I let them stratify in the fridge for a couple of weeks and just put them in the ground this week. Hope that wasn't a mistake. nothing planted is ever a waste.you be fine bro!
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Post by LinFL on Feb 26, 2015 14:26:06 GMT -5
I've never grown asparagus - I haven't been able to figure out where to put a patch.
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Post by nightmist on Feb 26, 2015 21:51:54 GMT -5
I've never grown asparagus - I haven't been able to figure out where to put a patch. If you live in a house, you can use it as a back border on your foundation plantings. Nice tall ferns that are very attractive in the back of the bed. If you get an older variety that will seed you get a ton of red berries in the fall too. Some people say you get the strongest plants if you cut them back for winter the minute the berries start to turn, some disagree. I reckon mine count themselves lucky if I get around to cutting them down before snow flies, and I get plenty from my bed.
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Post by garrett on Feb 27, 2015 21:35:43 GMT -5
I've never grown asparagus - I haven't been able to figure out where to put a patch. If you live in a house, you can use it as a back border on your foundation plantings. Nice tall ferns that are very attractive in the back of the bed. If you get an older variety that will seed you get a ton of red berries in the fall too. Some people say you get the strongest plants if you cut them back for winter the minute the berries start to turn, some disagree. I reckon mine count themselves lucky if I get around to cutting them down before snow flies, and I get plenty from my bed. we have a bed of asparagus too.yer right cr they are pretty
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Post by directsunlight on Mar 7, 2015 7:18:19 GMT -5
How hardy is asparagus? Will it survive temperatures below 20 or does it need to be protected? Sounds interesting.
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Post by directsunlight on Mar 7, 2015 7:23:21 GMT -5
Artichokes have survived 3 rounds of sleet, snow, and ice. Some of the leaves broke when they were covered. We'll see how long it takes to recover. The big plant is about 6 feet across. Nothing edible last year from it. Started another 2 from seed last week, waiting for them to sprout. Also have a fewmarshmallow plants growing. Key there is excessive watering ?
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Post by nightmist on Mar 10, 2015 11:21:01 GMT -5
How hardy is asparagus? Will it survive temperatures below 20 or does it need to be protected? Sounds interesting. My "Mary Washington' patch has survived double digits below zero in the past without a hiccup. Last I looked 'Mary Washington was rated to Zone 4a, which means it is OK to around -30F. Though I have seen websites that place it all the way to 3b, which is closer to -40F. It needs a climate with seasons to grow properly in the first place, though that can include a dry season rather than a cold season. It just needs the proper conditions to go dormant for a few months after its growing season. It can take quite a lot of cold when it is dormant. Some hybrids are a bit fussier about conditions during the growing season though. For example I am told that a lot of Rutgers 'Jersey' series rather depend on humid conditions when they are actively growing.
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Post by directsunlight on Mar 15, 2015 22:34:32 GMT -5
Pulled up one of the marshmallow plants this afternoon-- on the porch there's the first picture. It is starting to resprout for the spring. Cut off all the root I could decently get at and then took some cuttings and threw them in a pot. I want to see how easy they'll regrow.
I plan to pull up a marshmallow plant on the other side too. The artichoke is just too big! Now the thing is to grind it up and try to make marshmallow candy from it. Should be interesting. As one person at church put it, marshmallows are cheap. So, this needs to be pretty good to be worth it!
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Post by directsunlight on Mar 15, 2015 22:35:58 GMT -5
Forgot to add how much it made. Got a pound of roots (minus weight of the bag). Should've stir-fried with the leaves, just never got around to it.
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