Self-Propagating Vegetables

Many vegetables, including peas, will self-sow in the garden.

The most common way vegetables self-propagate is through seed; however, that is not the only way they can do it. Some vegetables, such as the Egyptian walking onion, produce clusters of tiny bulbs, known as sets, at the tips of the plants. Jerusalem artichokes multiply by producing masses of underground tubers. Growing vegetables that self-propagate is a great way to save money and have an endless supply of fresh produce, since a number of these plants will grow year-round.

Leafy Vegetables

Amaranth, arugula, kale, mustard, spinach, lettuce and a variety of salad mixes will self-sow. Once you have amaranth and mustard in your garden, they are likely to pop up all over the place, possibly because birds love to eat the seeds. Japanese red mustard has a very pretty red leaf and will grow through the winter, unprotected, in United States Department of Agriculture hardiness zone 5, as will kale. Lettuce, salad mixes, spinach and arugula will grow all winter long as well, but these plants do need the protection of a cold frame. Amaranth is a warm-weather vegetable that grows during the summer months.

Fruiting Vegetables

Pumpkin, tomato, tomatillo and winter squash grow during the summer, and although their foliage does not last through the winter, the seeds they drop certainly will. When the ground warms up in late spring, these seeds will begin to germinate. The use of a cold frame, which is a boxlike structure with a clear glass or plastic top, will extend the season in the fall, allowing you to harvest the produce from these warm-weather vegetables a few weeks longer than normal.

Perennial Vegetables

Perennial vegetables are in a class of their own, because they come back from their own root system year after year. They do set seed, with the exception of the Egyptian walking onion, which produces sets, but seed is not the only way they multiply. Asparagus, Egyptian walking onion and Jerusalem artichoke belong to this unusual group of vegetables. Jerusalem artichoke produces so many underground tubers that it is almost impossible to get rid of this plant once you have it.

Root Vegetables

When it comes to self-propagating root vegetables, beets, carrots, parsnips, turnips and rutabaga are hard to beat. Mulch them well or protect them with a cold frame over the winter and you can continue to harvest these vegetables as you need them. Be sure to leave a few plants in the ground, because the second spring of their life they will set seed. Simply allow this seed to drop into the garden, where it will germinate, and the cycle will continue for many years to come.

References

• "Mother Earth News"; Self-Seeding Crops You’ll Never Need to Replant; Barbara Pleasant; 2010