VERY early produce

[me&thegals]

Hi everybody--Are you all getting as excited about next year's garden as I am? I've been thoroughly enjoying the laziness of winter, so I wasn't prepared for the sheer joy of paging through garden catalogues in late Dec. But, there you have it

So, here's my question. What perennial (preferable) or annual veggies and fruits can be harvested very early, like mid-May? I live in WI, zone 4. I've got nice soil on a south-facing slope, so I tend to be able to start/harvest some things a bit earlier than others.

Last year, I got perpetual spinach seeds through Mother Earth. Not a single one came up. My Egyptian walking onions are doing great! I already grow green garlic (garlic that I leave in year after year). My spinach came up from the fall before last spring. And, I always get lettuce in as soon as the soil can be worked. I also get Jerusalem artichokes from a friend...

Anything else? I have a CSA business, and it's really important for me to be able to get my deliveries going when asparagus is in season.

Thanks for your help!

 

[beavis]

Rhubarb perhaps?

 

[Greenthumb18]

you could do radish, spinach, maybe early greens

 

[Bebop]

peas like snow and sugar snap
early greens like swiss chard, lolla rosa, oakleaf lettuce, mizuna, black seeds simpson lettuce, and others can be a mesclun mix
maybe carrots, cabbage, broccoli, brussel sprouts, beans,

you can do tomatoes by using black plastic to warm the ground, start them early inside and punch holes in the plastic to put in plants, you can probably peppers too. I'm not too sure because you're in WI, but you do have your south facing slope, so that's a great advantage.

Check out other CSAs in similar zones to see what they are able to grow would also be a good idea!

 

[me&thegals]

Thanks for the great ideas! Does anybody grow anything perennial besides rhubarb, strawberries, sunchokes and asparagus that are early risers? I'm remembering a couple early herbs that are great like chives and oregano. Anything else?

 

[Bebop]

my favoritest perennial herb is mint.
It grows super fast, and comes in all sorts of smells and flavors.
You can use them in teas, salads, soups, meat dishes, anything!
French Tarragon is really awesome too for fish dishes.
Thyme, Rosemary, Cilantro, Lavender.. There are so many herbs.
as far as Perennial veggies.. I can't think of anything else that what is already said. artichokes maybe?
>^.^<

 

[Grow 4 Food]

CSA?

We harvest cabbage, broc, peas, strawberries, and a few other things by late April here in 7 so I would think you could get them by mid-late may where you are?

Hobby

 

[Rosalind]

Overwintered garlic and onions? Don't know about Wisconsin, but I can overwinter onions under, like, a foot of leaves and straw, and get spring onions out of it. Gooseberries also usually come in before strawberries for me.

I don't grow cardoons myself, but I know they can be perennial. Also seakale and 9 star broccoli (looks more like cauliflower) are perennials.

 

[me&thegals]

Great--more things to look up! Thanks!

I'm in WI, zone 4. Rosalind, what zone are you in? I didn't get all my bunching onions pulled last fall, so I'm really hopeful that they and the carrots are insulated under all our snow here and will be edible in spring

CSA stands for community-supported agriculture. Local people buy "shares" of my garden, which I deliver to them or they pick up for at least 20 weeks of the growing season. Last year it turned out to be 27 weeks.

 

[SewingDiva]

Kale and Brccoli Rabb for sure! I started seeds end of February, transplated early March ans we had fresh greens by Mid April. We also planted asparagus last year so that will be coming up too this spring by April.

We belong to a CSA as well in addition to our own veggie gardening.

Phyllis