2026-06-09 — TSP Rewind 321: Perennial Vegetables for the Homestead

Episode Info

• Show: The Survival Podcast (Jack Spirko)
• Original air date: 2017-04-18 (Episode 1986)
• Rewind air date: 2026-05-27
• Duration: 1:20:32 (~80 min)
• Source: https://www.thesurvivalpodcast.com/tsprw-321
• MP3: https://survivalpodcast.net/audio/2026/rewind/epi-321-tsprw.mp3

Framing

• 12 perennial vegetables that produce reliably with minimal effort on any homestead — most also work in containers and wicking beds
• Jack redefines "perennial" from the gardener's perspective: True Perennial (botanical) vs. Behaves Like a Perennial (self-seeds/reproduces so reliably that the gardener doesn't have to replant)
• Some "weeds" are actually superfoods in disguise — the modern monoculture lawn mentality is what blinds us to them
• Closing framework: 4 strategies for gardener freedom — perennials, containers for invasive species, polyculture of many varieties in small quantities, continuous harvest over seasonal glut-and-can

The 12 Plants

1. Bloody Dock (Rumex sanguineus) — Zone 4, true perennial

• Mediterranean, needs constant moisture → ideal for wicking beds and aquatic setups
• Leaves slightly bitter/sour (like beet + sorrel), exudes red sap
• Best mixed with other greens (arugula) in salad, or sautéed with garlic and onion — too intense alone
• Jack bought it from Pond Megastore, didn't realize it was edible at first

2. Ostrich Fern — Zones 3-8, true perennial

• Source of the famous "fiddlehead" — pick 2-4 inch unopened fronds before they unfurl
• MUST cook 5-10 min (raw causes GI distress) — taste like asparagus but more refined
• Seasonal harvest (only at sprouting phase) — don't over-harvest
• Decorative + edible: keeps the wife happy. Mass production in ground, but a shaded moist wicking bed on the balcony works

3. Scarlet Runner Bean — Zone 6+ with heavy mulch, behaves like perennial

• Bill Mollison: "best bean in the world"
• 20+ years in one spot with thick root-zone mulch, self-propagates
• Nitrogen fixer + scarlet honeysuckle-like flowers (ornamental)
• Jack's recipe: house chili-garlic oil + hot oil over "al dente" beans + sea salt + pepper + optional bacon bits
• Wicking bed: solves Jack's lúgos soil problem (his ducks used to eat the young shoots)

4. English Sorrel — Zone 3, true perennial

• One of the first greens in early spring, lemon-flavored, great in salad and soup
• After spring peak: divide and propagate (cut leaves back to reduce transpiration, keep shaded/cool)
• Jack's favorite: chicken-oyster mushroom soup with fresh sorrel — dehydrated oyster mushroom base + chicken + bone broth + salt/pepper + fresh parsley + fresh sorrel + sliced mushrooms
• Container/wicking bed ideal: loosens compacted clay soil long-term

5. Jerusalem Artichoke — Zone 3, behaves like perennial

• Technically annual (the planted tuber exhausts itself) but so reliable in self-propagation it functions as perennial
• Dave Jackie's trick: cinder-block-walled large pit + compost — tubers grow against the wall, harvest is trivial
• Storage: cool and moist, not dry — winter harvest as long as soil isn't fully frozen
• "Fartichoke": raw/poorly cooked causes gas in some people (inulin content). Fermentation (2-day in salt brine) eliminates this and preserves nutrition
• Jack's favorites: 6mm slices pan-fried in peanut oil (like French fries); fermented; shredded in salad; boiled 24h for purée (untested but supposedly solves gas completely)
• If not harvested one year, overcrowding can kill the patch

6. Lamb's Quarters — Zone 4 (possibly 3), behaves like perennial

• Asian "weed" introduced to North America, actually superior spinach substitute
• Let a few go to seed yearly — one plant can produce half a kilogram of seed
• Young leaves (≤30 cm tall plant) raw in salad, but best sautéed in butter-garlic then mixed with sorrel, chicory, spinach, arugula + bacon bits + feta (gourmet level)
• Cut back to 5-7 cm, leave some leaves at base — resprouts
• Collect seed when flower head starts blackening; rub off over a bucket
• Ducks love it — fence it off

7. Day Lily (Hemerocallis) — Zone 4, true perennial

• WARNING: only true day lily (Hemerocallis) is edible; lilies (Lilium) are NOT. Distinguishing feature: day lily has finger-like tubers, lilies have bulbs
• 4 edible parts: (1) unopened buds — best, butter-sautéed with garlic, stir-fry; (2) opened flowers — bland, salad color, Asian soup thickener (replaces okra); (3) stems — not worth it; (4) tubers — sweet fingerling potato, pan-roasted and finished in oven
• Propagation: clumps grow in expanding rings, inner dies like comfrey — divide after frost (harvest + propagate simultaneously)
• Wicking bed ideal: constantly moist, tubers harvestable all winter
• Invasive in most US states → container/wicking bed keeps it contained

8. Good King Henry — Zone 3, true perennial

• Spinach-substitute leaf + asparagus-like young shoots + edible flower buds
• Jack's own experience: never succeeded germinating from seed — buy live plant instead
• Above zone 7: dies in heat; in shade + moist, can survive up to zone 9
• Very early emergence — young shoots harvestable immediately; older plants produce more
• Combines well with sorrel, arugula in large winter/early spring sauté

9. Egyptian Walking Onion — Zone 4, true perennial

• Bulblets grow at stem top; when stem gets heavy, it bends down, bulblets root → "walks"
• Everything edible: underground bulb, bulblets, greens — mild onion flavor
• Excellent in container/wicking bed: moisture + contained spread
• Banned as invasive in some states (Jack: pointless, doesn't crowd out other plants). If not at linked source, eBay "agorista" route always works

10. Horse Radish — Zone 3, true perennial

• Jack loves the heat, but horseradish roots can punish you when grating
• Container trick: the container limits root spread — without it, can become invasive
• Harvest: pull, cut what you need, replant the top — trivially easy
• Propagation: any root piece with a node will regrow

11. New Zealand Spinach — Zone 7-6, true perennial

• Common in hot climates where regular spinach bolts
• Ground-cover habit, tolerates container well
• Leaves have a slight "soapy" taste that some find off-putting — cook it (raw in moderation)

12. Lovage — Zone 3, true perennial

• Celery substitute that grows like a weed, very cold-hardy
• Tastes like intense celery — leaves, stems, seeds all usable
• Self-seeds prolifically; one plant gives you a "celery forest"

Container/Wicking Bed Suitability

Plant	Container	Wicking Bed	Notes
Bloody Dock	✓	✓✓	Aquatic setup ideal
Ostrich Fern	limited	✓	Shaded moist bed only
Scarlet Runner Bean	✓	✓✓	Solves alkaline soil
Sorrel	✓✓	✓✓	Ideal container plant
Jerusalem Artichoke	✓	✓✓	Cinders + pit also works
Lamb's Quarters	✓	✓	Fence from ducks
Day Lily	✓	✓✓	Invasive control via container
Good King Henry	✓	✓	Buy live plant, not seed
Egyptian Walking Onion	✓✓	✓✓	Walks + moisture
Horse Radish	✓✓	✓	Container limits spread
New Zealand Spinach	✓✓	✓	Ground cover in container
Lovage	✓	✓	Self-seeds prolifically

Exception: Ostrich Fern prefers ground (unless dedicating a full wicking bed to it). Good King Henry is not particularly container-suited but not forbidden either.

4 Closing Strategies (Jack's Framework for Gardener Freedom)

1. Perennial where possible — plant once, harvest for years
2. Container/wicking bed where perennial would be too invasive — day lily, Jerusalem artichoke, Egyptian onion all containable
3. Many crops, few of each — "don't plant 50 tomatoes, plant 5 plus 5 other veggies, eat varied"
4. Continuous harvest, not seasonal glut — fresh daily picking means no huge pantry needed; season extension (fall-winter tubers: day lily, Jerusalem artichoke, sweet potato) provides carbs year-round

Self-Reliance Framework

• Jack's "small garden, small land, little time" concept: 100-gallon stock tank (peat tank, $60-80) + float valve + wicking bed construction → plants self-water. Aquaponics nutrients optional, but nutrient replenishment via dissolved organic fertilizers and worms in the wicking bed works
• Closing song: Bruce Hornsby "The Way It Is"
• Standard closing: "a small change in the world if you start growing a little for yourself — for a child who understands this is possible, it's priceless"
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