I want to grow more vegetables that I can get multiple harvests from over a long season. What kinds of things do you grow that cut and come again or have multiple edible parts. I'll start off the list with a few that I like.
Kale
Swiss chard
Sweet potato (leaves and tubers)
Chayote (leaves and fruit)
NZ spinach
Taro
green onions
Georgia collards
- hendi_alex
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Arugula and leaf lettuce when just the leaves are pinched, produce over a long season. Both if planted in the cool spring tend to bolt quickly, but plant some later after the weather starts to warm, and those plants will give a much longer harvest. The lettuce will produce at least a month longer into the heat. Late spring planted Arugula will last many months and sometimes all the way through the winter here in zone 8 South Carolina.
With succession planting, I'm able to harvest cucumbers, squash, and zucchini from late spring until frost in the fall. Without succession planting, the plants generally give out by early to mid summer, because of pests, disease, heat, or just plain get worn out.
In some areas cucumbers and tomatoes grow great all season long, but in the hot south, it takes a little creativity to get a continuous crop from early summer until frost. I have to keep a continuous supply of young replacement tomato plants growing throughout the spring and summer. They serve as replacements any time the older plants die, usually because of summer blight or other heat related disease. Young vigorously growing plants are usually not affected, and will grow through the stressed period to pick up production when that of older plants comes to an end.
Okra produces from early summer until late fall.
Succession planting with bush green beans will give an almost continuous crop from spring through late fall.
Garlic stores very well, so while the harvest period is short, the crop lasts for at least 6-9 months.
With succession planting, I'm able to harvest cucumbers, squash, and zucchini from late spring until frost in the fall. Without succession planting, the plants generally give out by early to mid summer, because of pests, disease, heat, or just plain get worn out.
In some areas cucumbers and tomatoes grow great all season long, but in the hot south, it takes a little creativity to get a continuous crop from early summer until frost. I have to keep a continuous supply of young replacement tomato plants growing throughout the spring and summer. They serve as replacements any time the older plants die, usually because of summer blight or other heat related disease. Young vigorously growing plants are usually not affected, and will grow through the stressed period to pick up production when that of older plants comes to an end.
Okra produces from early summer until late fall.
Succession planting with bush green beans will give an almost continuous crop from spring through late fall.
Garlic stores very well, so while the harvest period is short, the crop lasts for at least 6-9 months.
Last edited by hendi_alex on Sat Feb 09, 2013 12:21 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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- rainbowgardener
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If broccoli does well in your climate, give it a go. I harvested my main heads months ago and am still getting tons of side shoots. I've not had such a good season with broccoli as I am this fall. Usually after 3-4 pickings of side shoots they really fall off. However, this year I'm picking them every 4-5 days and getting enough for steaming, eating raw in salads or making a nice pot of cream of broccoli soup.
Peppers, especially hot varieties do very well for me and I have mixed results with bells with some seasons being great, some not so great. The pepper plants will last through the winter for me if we don't get any hard freezing weather. Right now I have 2 Ghost Pepper plants and 3 Habanero Pepper plants but no Bell Pepper plants. I'm not getting any Habs, but I have picked at least a dozen Ghost Peppers this fall---------and they go a long way.
Peppers, especially hot varieties do very well for me and I have mixed results with bells with some seasons being great, some not so great. The pepper plants will last through the winter for me if we don't get any hard freezing weather. Right now I have 2 Ghost Pepper plants and 3 Habanero Pepper plants but no Bell Pepper plants. I'm not getting any Habs, but I have picked at least a dozen Ghost Peppers this fall---------and they go a long way.
- !potatoes!
- Greener Thumb
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broccoli, cauliflower- as said before, the broccoli will make lots of side shoots, but you can also eat the leaves and stems of both plants. They can be eaten raw or cooked, and the plant tastes just like the flower. I usually cook min in a pot of greens. The stems make a great slaw when shredded and are good raw in salads or stir fry.
brussels sprouts- also have edible leaves
amaranth- it's grown commercially for the seeds, but you can eat the leaves too, they add nice color to salads - caution, these are big and self seeding
celery- can be harvested cut and come again, the seeds are also used in cooking
blueberry/raspberry bushes- the dried leaves can be added to flavor teas
hibiscus- the dried flowers are also great added to tea or used on their own to make jamaica
alfalfa/mung - the dried beans/seeds can be sprouted in jars of water in just a few days and then you have fresh bean sprouts to harvest. Many dried beans can be sprouted this way, but not all are edible, please do your homework before you eat something different
DoubleDog- Mmmmmm @ garlic scapes! I can never get mine to bloom though!
brussels sprouts- also have edible leaves
amaranth- it's grown commercially for the seeds, but you can eat the leaves too, they add nice color to salads - caution, these are big and self seeding
celery- can be harvested cut and come again, the seeds are also used in cooking
blueberry/raspberry bushes- the dried leaves can be added to flavor teas
hibiscus- the dried flowers are also great added to tea or used on their own to make jamaica
alfalfa/mung - the dried beans/seeds can be sprouted in jars of water in just a few days and then you have fresh bean sprouts to harvest. Many dried beans can be sprouted this way, but not all are edible, please do your homework before you eat something different
DoubleDog- Mmmmmm @ garlic scapes! I can never get mine to bloom though!
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- rainbowgardener
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No, spinach will not come back if you cut the whole plant. If you cut the outer leaves and leave the center of the plant, it will keep growing. But despite the "long standing" name, no spinach lasts very long once the weather gets warm. It rapidly bolts/ goes to seed and is done.
The swiss chard imafan mentioned does keep producing all season and is an excellent substitute for spinach.
The swiss chard imafan mentioned does keep producing all season and is an excellent substitute for spinach.
- skiingjeff
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We normally get about 6 nice green bell peppers from our plants or more depending on how well the season goes. I don't ripen them often or on the plant but if stored correctly, they will ripen over time. Also, by cutting them off the plant, it allow the plant to focus on the next fruit.
We also cut and freeze them for use in sauces and I've even frozen some cleaned out and whole for stuffing if we have enough freezer space.
We also cut and freeze them for use in sauces and I've even frozen some cleaned out and whole for stuffing if we have enough freezer space.
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The best greens I have found when it gets warm, which I figure would be good for you, are komatsuna and senposai (komatsuna x cabbage). The senposai, especially, continues growing well into the summer, and only start bolting when I start getting heat waves over 90°. They may last longer with succession planting, so some are much younger then, but I haven't tried that, as I am about greened out by then, and need a break, before the fall crop starts.
I harvest these starting about 30 days after transplant, cutting the perimeter stalks, and the plants just keep growing.
I harvest these starting about 30 days after transplant, cutting the perimeter stalks, and the plants just keep growing.