5 Crops That Grow THEMSELVES

5 Crops That Grow Themselves: perfect edible plants for busy gardeners that thrive in neglect.

    Today, we're not talking about fruit trees, briars, and berry bushes that require pruning, nope. 

    We're talking about easy annuals and herbaceous perennials- the ones that die back to the ground every year. 

    Why? Because herbaceous perennials tend to be lower maintenance- you can simply mow the area flat every fall or spring, making things even easier for you. 

    Easy, low maintenance, and grow themselves? Let's go! 

Roasted winter squash is absolutely delicious!

 Pumpkins / Winter Squash:

     If you have carved your pumpkins in the yard, you've likely had pumpkin vines volunteer the following spring. 

    These plants grow big very quickly and need no help from you to take over and set their own large pumpkins. 

    Vine borers and squash bugs will eventually descend upon the vines, but you'll likely get a pumpkin or two out of them if you resist the urge to mow them down. 

Even the small leaves of the Honeynut Butternut Squash are still huge!

 Hostas: 

    Did you know you can eat hostas? 

    Yes, that common, shade loving plant that folks absolutely love in their landscaping. 

    It's one of the earliest plants to poop up in the spring, and the shoots are edible. It's a maintenance free, low growing perennial landscaping plant that doubles as a perennial, early spring food source should you ever need to utilize it. 

    It's said that they taste like a cross between asparagus and lettuce; mine haven't matured enough to try yet. 

Hostas are an edible landscaping plant that require almost no maintenance; they're also perfect for growing beneath trees, where most plants struggle due to shade.

Jerusalem Artichokes: 

    Also known as sunchokes, these have a reputation for being highly aggressive in the garden. If you're within its native range, that's NOT a bad thing! 

    As a matter of fact, that's a valuable trait for foods that you’re wanting to plant once and forget about until harvest. 

    These grow fast in the spring, forming a dense, ever-expanding clump. There's zero weeding involved! 

    They form lots of tubers over the summer and reach over 6’ tall. 

    In very late summer, they flower with beautiful, yellow flowers. 

    The tubers are an excellent source of food and can be dug throughout the winter months as needed; foliage is impressively high in protein, an excellent forage for livestock. 

Sunchoke tubers are very prolific. They grow just under the soil's surface, and sometimes right above it. They're an excellent perennial food source that can be dug through the winter months.

Jerusalem Artichoke flowers are beautiful, sunny blooms that appear in August or September for us. They're late season, typically blooming with Goldenrod and Ironweed. 

Cherry Tomatoes: 

    Cherry tomatoes are notoriously easy to grow. 

    If you have a fence they can climb, you could just drop seeds or seedlings in place and leave them be. 

    You will likely have tiny tomatoes all season long, without any maintenance at all. 

    Larger tomatoes act similarly- but they're not as reliable in yield when you plant them and forget them. 

    Opt for the cherry tomatoes - they're more resistant to heat waves, too. 

    Check out my Etsy shop, because I have LOTS of cherry tomatoes to choose from!

Cherry tomatoes have not a care in the world; they take over and fruit prolifically regardless of where they are or what you do.

Cantaloupe: 

    Much like the pumpkins and winter squash, if there are seeds in the yard, they will take the opportunity and run with it! 

    Cantaloupe vines grow quickly and tend to fruit prolifically. 

    Weed competition can be an issue if the weeds have had a head start. 

    If you are planting seeds into a well mowed or tilled location initially, you'll likely harvest lots of cantaloupe without any other maintenance! 

    I typically don't grow cantaloupe, I'm more of a honeydew girl, myself. However, they have nearly identical growth and behavior, so you can sub cantaloupe for honeydew and expect similar results!

I'm not much of a cantaloupe girl- I'm a honeydew girl. However, that doesn't stop me from collecting cantaloupe seeds!

Don't Forget: Environment and Climate is Key!

    All plants will require light, soil, and water, and the perennials will likely require some winter weather for dormancy. 

    Most of these suggestions are suitable for temperate environments with 4 seasons and adequate rainfall. You can't plant a sunchoke in a dry desert environment and expect it to thrive without care, for example. 

    Instead, you'd opt for plants suitable to your environment like Prickly Pear or Dragon fruit. 

Your environment and climate dictate the care that your plants will require; no two gardens are the same.