Forks in the Dirt

Growing edible perennial food crops in the north is so valuable! Even though I am starting all kinds of food crop seeds inside while there’s still snow outside, the first crops I harvest always end up being our early spring perennials. Plus spring perennials play well with other early spring annuals like salads and radishes.

It can feel like a superpower to be eating from your land as early as May, especially when all you did was rake back a few leaves…

Why Grow Edible Perennials in Cold Climates?

We have an extremely short growing season in Minnesota, under 150 days! So we need plants that can take the freezing cold and then warm up fast, and early spring perennials make it happen.

• Edible perennials make the most of the spring shoulder season here in the north, because even when our air temps are still chaotic and dipping below those freezing points, the soil is slowly, steadily warming. And the roots of perennials use that as their sign to start growing, not the cold above ground air temps.
• Choosing the right location is key to the success of the plant’s life and your harvests. Because these plants will thrive for years to come, think about other trees that will grow and shade in 20 years, or if you’ll be adding onto a deck, patio etc.…
• They are lower maintenance because there’s no need for annual tilling, planting, seed starting, transplanting, etc.
• You’ll get much earlier harvests compared to any annuals you’ve started inside. I know this can seem counter intuitive, but I’ve seen it happen year after year.
• Leaving the roots in the ground for years has huge benefits to the soil health. It of course reduces erosion but also increases the overall count and diversity of the soil microorganisms, which help grow healthier plants.

What Are Edible Perennials?

In this article we’re talking specifically about Herbaceous Edible Perennials. These are plants that come back year after year- but die down to the ground every winter. Distinct from all the delicious berry bushes and trees that also produce for years.

Edible perennials that take our colder winters in Zone 4 include asparagus, rhubarb, some varieties of perennial sorrel, kale and spinach, sunchokes, herbs like thyme, oregano, chives, garlic chives, and strawberries. Find your Growing zone in this Interactive Map from the USDA.

Best Early Spring Edible Perennials for Northern Gardeners

Asparagus

One of the first perennials to be harvested from gardens, sometimes as early as late April in my garden. And since these plants can produce steady for over 15 years, you want to be picky about choosing the right location. Plant once for years of nutritious, fresh harvests.

Learn all the planting tips and tricks, plus my favorite ways to eat asparagus in the full length article: Growing Asparagus: Long Lasting Perennial Vegetable

You can actually interplant asparagus with Strawberries, another edible perennial listed below…

Rhubarb

You know when almost every old farmyard has a patch still growing it must be hardy, right!

Rhubarb plants can last up to 100 years, but typically more like 20 years and then they need dividing. But other than that, give them sun and decent soil, and they’ll give you years of easy harvests. With over 100 distinct varieties of rhubarb, red does NOT always equal ripe.

Learn how to grow great rhubarb and some of my favorite recipes (from crisps, to savory chutney, in rhubarb shrub mocktails + cocktails, to our new obsession Sour Rhubarb Candy Strips in this Article,  Growing Rhubarb: Plus My Favorite Rhubarb Recipes

Strawberries

Strawberries mean summer has arrived in my growing zone, as we start harvesting just as school gets out.

Planting a patch of bare root crowns in May is the way to get this crop off the ground.  And speaking of up off the ground, what should you put around your STRAW berries? Straw, lots of straw! That way the berries don’t get dirty, and the runners can root into the loosened soil. There are 3 main kinds of strawberries depending on how and when you want to harvest, June Bearing, Ever Bearing and Day Neutral.

Find out more about varieties and best planting practices, plus my favorite recipes in my deep dive article, Growing Strawberries.

*Combine these perennials to make my favorite freezer jam, Strawberry/Rhubarb!

Perennial Herbs + Greens

There is such a huge diversity of cold hard herbs and greens, especially varieties that can be harvested early in the spring, yes even up north!

From foraging for nettles or cattails, or planting perennial spinach or a perennial kale, or sorrel there are vast amounts of native and cultivated spring greens.

For perennial herbs, remember that basics like chives, garlic chives, oregano, thyme, mint and lemon balm.

Tips for Growing Perennial Vegetables and Fruits Successfully

• Take your time choosing the best location before you plant these long-term investments. Choosing the right location is key to the success of the plant’s life and your harvests. Because these plants will thrive for years to come – long term investments- big rewards!

• Also take time to prepare the soil well before planting. I’ll usually weed well and then add in a layer of organic compost to help start off the plants on the right root.

• Know your yard’s Microclimates.  I like to think about where the snow melts first in a yard and use that microclimate to plant these earliest perennials, because they are driven more by soil temperature and will give you a week or two earlier harvests by paying attention.

Which Edible Perennials Should You Start With?

With gardening you should always grow what you love, and leave the other plants for someone else…

That said, rhubarb is one of the hardiest plants and a great one to start off with. Strawberries and quite easy to grow once they’re established, so they will take a little extra love and watering that first season. All the perennial herbs are great additions to any modern homestead. You’ll be amazed how often you head outside to grab a few sprigs of thyme or oregano to add to a salad or pot of soup…

And that’s really the goal, to get you planting foods that are easy to grow while giving you a big return for your time, garden space and growing season.

Edible perennials just check all the boxes.

Have fun and Dig Into Perennials!

Michelle

Let’s shrink your lawn with sustainable turf alternatives!

This guest post is brought to us by the legend, Bob Dahm. Many of my Midwest garden friends will know him as “Organic Bob,” which is how I knew him when we first met about 5 years ago.

He has guided our family on our own home lawn re-seeding (with tougher native grasses) and bee lawn areas with great success. This is because he sees our yards and gardens as integral parts of the natural world, not separate from them.

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Are you itching to get planting but the soil isn’t warming fast enough?

Growing under the cover of a low tunnel is the answer to jump start your spring vegetable garden. Most of the veggies shown here were started under a DIY low tunnel.

These temporary structures are basically ‘low to the ground’ greenhouses, hence the ‘low’ tunnel. The simple, arched structures are efficient at trapping passive solar heat and holding it in the soil. In Minnesota we often get snow into April, so the reinforced arches are key to keeping plants happy during spring storms.

Inexpensive and easy to build, low tunnels can be popped up anywhere, so they’re perfect for small space gardens. They also work well with crop rotation, as you can move where you’re growing your earliest crops each season.

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OK, so I have a thing for books…

Gardening “How To” books, Ecological Gardening books, Permaculture, No Dig, Companion Planting, Preserving, Homesteading… I’ve read a lot of books. And, not all of them earn a place on my bookshelf.

Nothing quite compares to flipping open to a page to find that bit of info, recipe or inspiration. Below are some of my most loved Garden and Local Food books.

Each of the books listed below would make great gifts, and a welcome addition to any gardener, homesteader, or foodie’s library!

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Gardening, at its heart, is good for you AND the planet! But years of green washing and less than organic practices have made it a little confusing. But there are some basic tips I’ve learned to help you get gardening for sustainability.

Sustainable gardening is all about creating a living system that supports itself, nurtures the environment, and…  actually gets easier for you over time. It’s the sweet spot where ecology meets practicality.

When you plan to manage each precious resource—from water, soil, sun, and plant matter—you’ll see the soil grow richer each year and the workload become more manageable. The garden will start to function like the ecosystem it is rather than feel like a chore.

For Minnesota gardeners and especially organic, permaculture-minded homesteaders, this mindset fits beautifully with our distinct seasons, rich glacial soils, and wildly resilient native species.

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Simple One Pot Soup Recipe Easy to Repeat!

This is such a warming soup. I’ve made a few variations in the past but have settled on this as a family favorite. I recently made this for a recovering friend, and I think it’s a perfect hug in a jar.

I also recently harvested all of these main ingredients from our suburban homestead here in Minnesota. Yes, even the ginger. So this soup sums up my most recent fall harvests in one bowl.

And as with all soups, this recipe is a jumping off point. A half cup more or less of any of the main ingredients is not going to ruin this soup. It is lighter and brighter than the more common butternut squash soup, but it certainly looks like that other orange fall soup. I am always looking for ways to sneak in more protein, so of course I add white beans to this soup. Adding beans to any blended soup gives it a creamy, thicker consistency along with all the other health benefits.

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How to Prep Your Fall Garden the Easy, Earth-Friendly Way

Fall is in the air. Cooler days brings the unmistakable shift in our gardens as the growing season winds down. It’s tempting to grab your rake, pull every plant out by the roots, and “tidy up” before winter hits.

But if you’re aiming for a healthier garden and less work next season, it’s time to embrace no dig garden clean-up. No dig gardening is more than just a trend—it’s a smarter, soil-loving way to garden. And when it comes to fall cleanup, the no dig method gives your garden a natural boost while cutting your workload. Win-win.

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I started seed saving the year I got behind (way behind) on picking my pole beans. When I found a few (ok, lots) of bean pods that were swelling in their pods and starting to yellow I was in despair at a lost harvest.

But then a light bulb popped on.

These were not a waste—just a different stage of the plant.

I didn’t have to toss these overripe beans into the compost. I could leave these to grow and save them as dried beans. I could eat them or save them to plant for more beans next year.

It was a sublimely empowering moment. One I want you to have too!

I got lucky by stumbling onto starting with one of the easiest vegetable seeds to save. For the first few years I saved mostly bean varieties and native flowers. Over a decade later, I’m still experimenting with saving new seeds. Which is why I’m well suited to pass the torch: if I can do it—you can too!

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