Let's grow perennial root vegetables

Ralph Kettell wrote:OK Daron,

You got me again!  LOL.  I just ordered Sunchokes, Egyptian walking onions, and American Groundnuts and I will probably buy some Cannas also.  Oh and I already planted some Hostas today.  

I too have the sunchokes, walking onions, cannas, and hosta.

The Hosta leaflets that emerge in the spring are TO DIE FOR. I sauteed in bacon grease with a bit of salt and pepper. Trying some this spring from one of my 5 plants prompted me to rush out and buy 10 more plants so that I will be able to enjoy a larger harvest in consecutive years down the line. They really do wonderfully here in the shaded areas available.

What kind of hosta cultivars do you have that were yummy?

Sara Rosenberg wrote:

Ralph Kettell wrote:OK Daron,

You got me again!  LOL.  I just ordered Sunchokes, Egyptian walking onions, and American Groundnuts and I will probably buy some Cannas also.  Oh and I already planted some Hostas today.  

I too have the sunchokes, walking onions, cannas, and hosta.

The Hosta leaflets that emerge in the spring are TO DIE FOR. I sauteed in bacon grease with a bit of salt and pepper. Trying some this spring from one of my 5 plants prompted me to rush out and buy 10 more plants so that I will be able to enjoy a larger harvest in consecutive years down the line. They really do wonderfully here in the shaded areas available.

jill bee wrote:What kind of hosta cultivars do you have that were yummy?

Sara Rosenberg wrote:

Ralph Kettell wrote:OK Daron,

You got me again!  LOL.  I just ordered Sunchokes, Egyptian walking onions, and American Groundnuts and I will probably buy some Cannas also.  Oh and I already planted some Hostas today.  

I too have the sunchokes, walking onions, cannas, and hosta.

The Hosta leaflets that emerge in the spring are TO DIE FOR. I sauteed in bacon grease with a bit of salt and pepper. Trying some this spring from one of my 5 plants prompted me to rush out and buy 10 more plants so that I will be able to enjoy a larger harvest in consecutive years down the line. They really do wonderfully here in the shaded areas available.

either big daddy or frances williams.... they are both in the same space.

Daron Williams wrote:

Cindy Skillman wrote:The arrowroot sounds really interesting. We have a wet swampy area I’d love to fill, but can it possibly compete with the Canada Thistle infesting the area at present now? The CT constantly blows in from USFS land (badly managed, free-grazed by cattle that eat everything else but CT). I mow it when it starts to bud, but it’s a never ending thing. I’d love to see almost anything else growing there. And I’m thinking about getting a few ducks... but I could wait, or fence them out for a few years.

Hmm... I'm not sure but I think arrowroot would do better in higher water levels than Canada Thistle. So if you could do something to hold more water in that area perhaps that would help push the thistle out and get the arrowroot established. Another option might be to pick one area that is not too big and remove the thistle from that area and then plant arrowroot in that area. I would just see how the arrowroot did and if the thistle came back.

My guess is that there will be a point where it is too wet for the thistle to win out over the arrowroot. Arrowroot often grows as an emergent plant in water 6 inches or so deep. Basically the same areas that you might find cattails.

Good luck!

As I recall the cat tails are food stuff as well! The more the merrier For the time being is there any use for the CT, I know some thistles have medicinal uses, or maybe as a material for something, if its always there might as well see if you can use it, maybe at some point get them all going so you have the benefits of poly culture in the space?

Victoria Jankowski wrote:

Daron Williams wrote:

Cindy Skillman wrote:The arrowroot sounds really interesting. We have a wet swampy area I’d love to fill, but can it possibly compete with the Canada Thistle infesting the area at present now? The CT constantly blows in from USFS land (badly managed, free-grazed by cattle that eat everything else but CT). I mow it when it starts to bud, but it’s a never ending thing. I’d love to see almost anything else growing there. And I’m thinking about getting a few ducks... but I could wait, or fence them out for a few years.

Hmm... I'm not sure but I think arrowroot would do better in higher water levels than Canada Thistle. So if you could do something to hold more water in that area perhaps that would help push the thistle out and get the arrowroot established. Another option might be to pick one area that is not too big and remove the thistle from that area and then plant arrowroot in that area. I would just see how the arrowroot did and if the thistle came back.

My guess is that there will be a point where it is too wet for the thistle to win out over the arrowroot. Arrowroot often grows as an emergent plant in water 6 inches or so deep. Basically the same areas that you might find cattails.

Good luck!

As I recall the cat tails are food stuff as well! The more the merrier For the time being is there any use for the CT, I know some thistles have medicinal uses, or maybe as a material for something, if its always there might as well see if you can use it, maybe at some point get them all going so you have the benefits of poly culture in the space?

I just looked it up https://vifarms.wordpress.com/2012/02/18/edible-and-medicinal-properties-of-invasive-weeds-canada-thistle/ of course I'd always double check the accuracy but just thought I would share