Monday, September 5, 2005

Quiz time for vegetable growers

Most vegetables have to be re-planted every spring.

There are only two vegetables (to the best of my limited knowledge) that are perennial.

What are they?
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11 comments:

  1. AliceMon Sep 05, 02:26:00 PM 2005

    I remembered Asparagus but forgot about Rhubarb. I've read that Globe Artichokes are perennial but I know nothing about them.

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  2. Diana LaMarreMon Sep 05, 03:42:00 PM 2005

    Way to go, Alice. You got them both. I don't know about Globe Artichokes either.

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  3. CalidoreMon Sep 05, 06:16:00 PM 2005

    Ohhh isn't Alice good!! I thought of Asparagus and Rhubarb but admit to knowing nothing about globe artichoke. Wouldn't know what to do with it, even if I did grow it.

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  4. TaracottaMon Sep 05, 08:42:00 PM 2005

    Thanks so much for the info Zoey and if anyone's interested..I had read on a garden forum about making a Rubarb leaf birdbath and could get the instructions for it. It was truly unique.

    Taracotta

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  5. NickieMon Sep 05, 09:18:00 PM 2005

    Rubarb :P

    What about sunchokes and potatoes?

    Artichoke is AWESOME :)

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  6. DianneMon Sep 05, 10:16:00 PM 2005

    Ok, I said asparagus because I have grown it and give Brian (my hub) credit for rhubarb. I didn't know it was a veggie and we have it our in our yard.

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  7. Diana LaMarreTue Sep 06, 05:25:00 AM 2005

    GGG, Don't you have to plant your potatoes every year? They are not perennial in Michigan for sure. Sunchokes,??? Don't know anything about them. Anybody know?

    Dianne, most people don't think of rhubarb as a veggie, which is why I thought the question might be tough.

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  8. KathyTue Sep 06, 08:12:00 AM 2005

    Sunchokes are Jerusalem artichokes, and yes, they are perennial. As permanent as horseradish, which, if you are going to count rhubarb as a vegetable, you might as well count horseradish, too. Jerusalem artichokes are actually related to perennial sunflowers. They make a black-eyed Susanish flower, but it blooms so late that it often doesn't get to bloom in my neck of the woods, because frost cuts the whole plant down first.

    Most people consider rhubarb a fruit, even though you eat the stalk of it like celery, and most people consider tomato a vegetable, even though the part of it you eat is (botanically) the fruit. You have to first decide how you are categorizing these plant products: by their botanical part or by their use in the kitchen. So what would horseradish be? I wouldn't say fruit or vegetable, I'd say condiment (closer to an herb). Which reminds me, there are some perennial herbs, sage and lovage come to mind, and there are probably others--oh, yeah, chives! But not everyone grows them in the vegetable garden.

    Zoey, I like it when you toss out these botanical riddles for us. They do get me to thinking.

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  9. Diana LaMarreTue Sep 06, 01:37:00 PM 2005

    Kathy, you have certainly done your homework on this one! Yes, there are a lot of perennial herbs, but I was not counting those as veggies. So if sunchokes are a veggie, then there are three (so far). Anyone know of others?

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  10. LindaWed Sep 07, 08:37:00 AM 2005

    Depends, too, on if you are talking about all that vegetable group - like all asparagus and rhubarb are perennial, but some climbing beans and onions are pereniial, but most not.

    My Dutch onion is definitely a perennial clump you just pull a bit off, and divide up every five years or so. But you would only use it if you couldn't find any other onions.

    And there is a climbing bean a friend grows that comes up from a big rhizome each year, and doesn't require replanting.

    But good question. :)

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  11. Diana LaMarreWed Sep 07, 09:30:00 AM 2005

    Chloe, Love those purple socks!
    Onions and climbing beans - guess we now have 4.

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