Prior to the easy availability of nursery-started seedlings and climate-controlled seed starting, perennial crops played a much greater role in family gardens. For those seeking to develop a mosre self-sufficient lifestyle for hard times, they can play a key roles in providing ongoing food production.
Unlike annual crops which must be reseeded and replanted each year, perennials can persist for many years, with appropriate care and climate. Thus planting and establishing perenial crops is a long-term investment in the productivity of your land.
Fruit
Fruit trees, including well-known varieties such as apples, cherries, plum, and peach, as well as less common trees, can produce a tremedous long-term yield. A well established stand of fruit trees can produce fruit for storage, freezing, canning, and juicing. Because it takes multiple years for fruit trees to start producing well, it’s well worth the investment to get them established as soon as possible.
Nuts
Nut trees also provide a unique and nutritious food source, well-suited to storage. Like fruit trees, they take a longer time to establish and produce, so it’s best to start as soon as possible. Also note that some nut trees are extemely large at maturity, and will require planning for their long-term growth.
Berries
Berries are among the most popular perenials, ranging from tangles of wild blackberries that can be found along roadsides, to thickets of backyard raspberries, or wild strawberries. Relatively easy to care for and quick to produce, berry bushes can yield a small harvest even in the first year. Many are agressive and prolific, and grow more like weeds than domesticated plants. Good management can keep them from getting too thick and tangled to harvest effectively.
Vegetables, Greens, and Tubers
There are countless varieties of perenial vegetables. Some, such as artichokes and rhubarb, are well known. Others are nearly forgotten, such as lovage, ramps, and sunchokes. Exploring the possibilities can be extremely rewarding, and provide a nutritious food source throughout the year.
Herbs and Medicinals
One of the simplest ways to get started is with perenial herbs. Many herbs, such as thyme, sage, mint, and rosemary, are perenials requiring little maintenance once established. Moving beyond culinary herbs, consider planting frequently used medicinals, such as echinacea and calendula.
Perenials are not a plant-and-forget solution for your food supply, but can play a vital role in fortifying your annual crops, and providing a fallback that can continue to produce in hard times, even with minimal care. With the long-term benefits offered, it’s a worthy investement for your survival retreat.
Many thanks to the Bard of the American Redoubt for suggesting this topic.
