12 Best Perennial Vegetables For Zone 6

In a slightly temperature-confusing region such as USDA hardiness zone 6, it can be tricky to decide which vegetables are safe to plant as perennials. But I have your work out cut for you because I’ve compiled such a list just for you!

If this isn’t your hardiness zone, here are some related articles that may interest you:

• The Top 10 Easy Perennial Vegetables to Plant
• 10 Best Perennial Vegetables That Will Thrive in Zone 3
• 10 Hardy Perennial Vegetables to Easily Grow in Zone 4
• 20 Best Perennial Vegetables to Grow in Zone 5 Easily
• 12 Perennial Vegetables To Grow Easily in Zone 7
• 10 Perennial Vegetables You Can Plant Easily in Zone 8
• 10 Unique Perennial Vegetables to Grow in Zone 9
• 10 Fascinating Perennial Vegetables to Grow in Zone 10
• 9 Perennial Vegetables You Need to Grow in Zone 11
• 9 Perennial Vegetables to Grow Easily in Zone 12
• 9 Best Perennial Vegetables to Plant in Zone 13

Here are 12 perennial vegetables that will thrive year after year in zone 6:

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1. American Groundnut

What are its basic care needs?

• Sun: 6 to 8 hours of indirect sunlight daily with some shade.
• Soil: Moist, well-draining soil.
• Water: Weekly watering to keep the soil constantly damp.
• Fertilizer: Yearly application of compost in the soil in early spring.
• Special Care: Wait until freezing temperatures drop to affect the top parts of the plant to make them taste sweeter. 

Any precautions or notes on growing this vegetable? 

• Harvest American Groundnut after 2-3 years when they are established and bigger in size. 
• Never eat the tubers raw and ensure to cook them out thoroughly before consumption.

2. Broccoli

What are its basic care needs?

• Sun: 8 hours of direct sunlight daily.
• Soil: Moist, well-draining, slightly acidic soil with pH 6 to 8.
• Water: Every 5-7 days, ensuring the soil is constantly moist.
• Fertilizer: Monthly feeding in spring and summer using high-Nitrogen fertilizer. 
• Special Care: Mulch around the plant to prevent weeds and keep moisture and temperature constant in the soil.

Any precautions or notes on growing this vegetable? Harvest Broccoli once it feels firm, before the flower buds open. 

3. Chicory 

What are its basic care needs?

• Sun: 8 hours of direct sunlight daily.
• Soil: Moist, well-draining, slightly acidic soil with pH 6.5 to 7.2.
• Water: Weekly watering.
• Fertilizer: Yearly application of compost in the soil in early spring.
• Special Care: Apply mulch around the plant and add row covers to protect the leaves from frost damage.

Any precautions or notes on growing this vegetable? Harvest Chicory leaves as soon as they are big enough after 3-5 weeks of planting. Otherwise, they will turn bitter the longer you delay collecting them.

4. Egyptian Walking Onion

What are its basic care needs?

• Sun: 8 hours of direct sunlight daily.
• Soil: Well-draining, loamy soil.
• Water: Weekly watering.
• Fertilizer: Yearly application of compost in the soil in early spring.
• Special Care: None.

Any precautions or notes on growing this vegetable? Every part of an Egyptian Walking Onion is edible, so feel free to harvest the whole plant down to the bulbils in the roots! However, it’s best to leave some behind if you want them grow back again each year. 

5. Garlic

What are its basic care needs?

• Sun: 8 hours of direct sunlight daily.
• Soil: Well-draining, slightly acidic soil with pH 6 to 7.
• Water: Weekly watering.
• Fertilizer: Yearly application of compost in the soil in fall.
• Special Care: None.

Any precautions or notes on growing this vegetable? Harvest Garlic once the bottom half of the plant is browning while the other half is still green. You want to make sure to collect them while the cloves are still intact within the bulb.

If you’d like to know more about different varieties of garlic, the following articles may interest you:

• 20 Best Garlic Varieties You Need to Try & Start Planting
• 11 Rare Garlic Varieties You Need to Try At Least Once in Your Life
• 26 Best Garlic Varieties to Plant in Zone 5 Easily

6. Giant Solomon’s Seal

What are its basic care needs?

• Sun: 6 to 8 hours of indirect sunlight daily with some shade.
• Soil: Moist and well-draining soil. 
• Water: Weekly watering.
• Fertilizer: Yearly application of compost in the soil in early spring.
• Special Care: None.

Any precautions or notes on growing this vegetable? Make sure to plant Giant Solomon’s Seal in a spacious garden as it can grow up to 7 feet tall! 

7. Kale

What are its basic care needs?

• Sun: 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight daily.
• Soil: Moist, well-draining, and slightly acidic soil with pH 6.5. 
• Water: Every 5-7 days, ensuring the soil is kept constantly damp. 
• Fertilizer: Monthly feeding in spring and summer using high-Nitrogen fertilizer. 
• Special Care: Place mulch around the plant to prevent weeds and nutrient competition. 

Any precautions or notes on growing this vegetable? Harvest Kale once they are about 8 to 10 inches long; ideally after frost when their leaves would be sweeter.

8. Leek

What are its basic care needs?

• Sun: 8 hours of direct sunlight daily.
• Soil: Well-draining, loamy, and slightly acidic soil with pH 5.5 to 7.
• Water: Weekly watering. 
• Fertilizer: Monthly feeding in spring and summer using high-Nitrogen fertilizer. 
• Special Care: Pull out any weeds growing around the plant, being extra careful to not damage the roots.

Any precautions or notes on growing this vegetable? Harvest Leeks once the stalks reach about 1 inch in length after 100-120 days of planting. 

9. Lovage

What are its basic care needs?

• Sun: 6 to 8 hours of indirect sunlight daily.
• Soil: Moist, well-draining, soil filled with nutrients. 
• Water: Weekly watering. 
• Fertilizer: Yearly application of compost in the soil in early spring.
• Special Care: None.

Any precautions or notes on growing this vegetable? Harvest Lovage when the leaves and stems are still young and delicate, about ⅓ of the overall plant’s foliage. 

10. Radicchio

What are its basic care needs?

• Sun: 6 to 8 hours of direct or indirect sunlight daily.
• Soil: Well-draining, loamy soil filled with nutrients. 
• Water: Weekly watering. 
• Fertilizer: Monthly feeding in spring and summer using an all-purpose fertilizer.
• Special Care: None.

Any precautions or notes on growing this vegetable? Harvest Radicchio after approximately 80 days from planting. If the plant tastes too bitter, it means it may have overmatured. 

11. Shallot

What are its basic care needs?

• Sun: 6 to 8 hours of direct or indirect sunlight daily.
• Soil: Well-draining, loamy or sandy soil.
• Water: Weekly watering. 
• Fertilizer: Monthly feeding in spring and summer using an all-purpose fertilizer.
• Special Care: None.

Any precautions or notes on growing this vegetable? Harvest Shallots once they are about 1-2 inches in diameter with a good purple color on them.

12. Watercress

What are its basic care needs?

• Sun: 6 to 8 hours of direct sunlight daily.
• Soil: Wet, slightly acidic soil with pH 6.5 to 7.5.
• Water: Daily to weekly watering. 
• Fertilizer: Monthly feeding in spring and summer using an all-purpose, diluted liquid fertilizer.
• Special Care: None.

Any precautions or notes on growing this vegetable? 

• Harvest Watercress before the flowers start to appear to retain that peppery taste.
• Do not collect wild Watercress as these may have contaminants from polluted waters.

References:

1. Apios americana (America-Hodoimo, American Groundnut, Cinnamon Vine, Groundnut, Hodoimo, Hopniss, Indian Potato, Potato Bean) | North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox. (n.d.). Plants.ces.ncsu.edu. Retrieved November 26, 2022, from https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/apios-americana/
2. Broccoli | Diseases and Pests, Description, Uses, Propagation. (n.d.). Plantvillage.psu.edu. https://plantvillage.psu.edu/topics/broccoli/infos
3. Chicory | Diseases and Pests, Description, Uses, Propagation. (n.d.). Plantvillage.psu.edu. Retrieved November 26, 2022, from https://plantvillage.psu.edu/topics/chicory/infos
4. Giant Solomon’s Seal – Polygonatum biflorum var. commutatum | North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox. (n.d.). Plants.ces.ncsu.edu. Retrieved November 26, 2022, from https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/polygonatum-biflorum-var-commutatum/common-name/giant-solomons-seal/
5. Growing garlic in home gardens. (n.d.). Extension.umn.edu. https://extension.umn.edu/vegetables/growing-garlic
6. Kale | Diseases and Pests, Description, Uses, Propagation. (n.d.). Plantvillage.psu.edu. https://plantvillage.psu.edu/topics/kale/infos
7. Leek | Diseases and Pests, Description, Uses, Propagation. (n.d.). Plantvillage.psu.edu. Retrieved November 26, 2022, from https://plantvillage.psu.edu/topics/leek/infos
8. Lovage: Herbs: University of Illinois Extension. (n.d.). Extension.illinois.edu. Retrieved November 26, 2022, from https://extension.illinois.edu/herbs/lovage
9. Radicchio. (2010, July 21). College of Agricultural Sciences. https://horticulture.oregonstate.edu/oregon-vegetables/radicchio-0
10. Shallots. (2010, July 21). College of Agricultural Sciences. https://horticulture.oregonstate.edu/oregon-vegetables/shallots-0
11. susan.mahr. (n.d.). Egyptian Walking Onions. Wisconsin Horticulture. https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/articles/egyptian-walking-onions/
12. The Incredible Groundnut (David Trinklein). (n.d.). Ipm.missouri.edu. Retrieved November 26, 2022, from https://ipm.missouri.edu/MEG/2020/1/groundNut/
13. University, U. S. (n.d.). Watercress in the Garden. Extension.usu.edu. https://extension.usu.edu/yardandgarden/research/watercress-in-the-garden