How to Grow Perennial Vegetables

Martin Crawford has had broad and varied horticultural/agricultural experience over the years – experience that led him to the concept of forest gardening as a sustainable system that can flourish in our changing climate conditions. This led to the founding of the Agroforestry Research Trust, a non-profit-making charity that researches temperate agroforestry and all aspects of plant cropping and uses, with a focus on tree, shrub and perennial crops. At his forest garden in Dartington, Devon, Martin systematically researches plant interactions and unusual crops. He also runs a commercial tree nursery specialising in unusual trees and shrubs, and has a large trial site, researching fruit and nut trees.

"A lot of information is packed into a relatively short space... Lots of the plants listed were new to me entirely, or as an edible possibility. Now I'm not only thinking where edible perennials may fit on my allotment, but also in my garden too! This is an informative and detailed book, which I shall be returning to again and again." vegplotting.blogspot "This lovely book makes it clear that we are not just missing a trick, we are missing a feast." -- Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall "I admire tremendously the first-hand experience which informs Martin Crawford's writing. This book leads us down the path to a wealth of perennial vegetables and tells us how to combine them successfully." -- Anne Swithinbank "A really useful book... Let us start freeing outselves from the tyranny of the annual sowing, thinning and planting regime." -- Bob Flowerdew "At last an indepth book on perennial vegetables combined with Martin Crawford's usual diligence of research - essential reading." -- Ben Law

• Foreword by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall Introduction Part 1 - An introduction to perennial vegetables Why grow perennial vegetables? - What is a perennial vegetable? - The case for growing perennials Growing perennial vegetables- Types of perennial plant - Soils - Perennial beds - Planting patterns - Perennial polycultures - Perennial grains - Perennial tuber and root crops - Perennial vegetables and ground-cover plants - Forest gardens - Growing perennial vegetables under existing trees - Growing aquatic perennial vegetables - Native and non-native plants Maintenance of perennial vegetables - Feeding - Soil pH - Disease management - Pest management - Harvesting and yields - Propagation - Maintenance Part 2 - Perennial vegetables A–ZAppendix: Common and Latin names Resources