What Edible Plants to Grow for Mulch and Improve Sandy Soil

What Edible Plants to Grow for Mulch and Improve Sandy Soil

Gardening in sandy soil can be a challenge, especially in hot, dry climates. Sandy soil drains quickly, lacks nutrients, and struggles to retain moisture. However, by choosing the right plants, you can naturally improve soil health while also growing food. In this post, I’ll share five of the best plants to grow for mulch and improve sandy soil, all of which are fast-growing, drought-tolerant, and multi-functional. These plants help build organic matter, retain moisture, and create a thriving ecosystem in your garden.

Pigeon Pea (Cajanus cajan)

Pigeon pea is a nitrogen-fixing shrub that grows quickly and thrives in poor soil conditions. This makes it an excellent pioneer plant for mulching to improve sandy soil and support other plants in your garden.

Benefits of Pigeon Pea:

  • Fixes nitrogen, enriching the soil naturally
  • Produces edible, protein-rich peas
  • Attracts pollinators and beneficial insects
  • Provides dappled shade for smaller plants
  • Offers abundant biomass for mulch and soil improvement
  • Works as a windbreak and shelter for small birds and insects

Pigeon pea is a short-lived perennial (4-5 years) and can be used to establish a garden while building soil fertility.

Edible Canna (Canna edulis)

Edible canna is a fast-growing, low-maintenance plant that produces starchy, edible rhizomes and large leaves perfect for mulching.

Benefits of Edible Canna:

  • Edible tubers can be eaten raw, cooked, or made into crispy chips or flour
  • Young shoots can be eaten as a nutritious green vegetable
  • Dense growth provides wind protection and shade
  • Attracts pollinators with its red flowers
  • Grows well in poor soil with little water
  • Chop-and-drop plant for organic mulch
  • Helps stabilize soil and prevent erosion

Edible canna is ideal for hot, dry climates and will quickly improve the organic matter and moisture retention of sandy soil.

Banana (Musa spp.)

Bananas are one of the best plants for improving sandy soil and creating a moist, nutrient-rich microclimate.

Benefits of Bananas:

  • Fast-growing with large leaves that provide valuable shade
  • Produces nutrient-rich mulch when chopped and dropped
  • Helps retain moisture in sandy soil
  • Improves soil structure by breaking down organic matter quickly
  • Provides delicious fruit for home gardens

Bananas are heavy feeders, so they benefit from compost, manure, or worm castings. Plant them in groups to create a thriving, moisture-rich ecosystem.

Feijoa (Acca sellowiana)

Feijoa, also known as pineapple guava, is a hardy shrub that thrives in drought-prone and sandy soil conditions.

Benefits of Feijoa:

  • Tolerates drought and poor soil
  • Produces delicious, fragrant fruit
  • Provides dense foliage for wind protection
  • Low-maintenance and easy to grow
  • Can be used as a hedging plant to protect other crops

Feijoa is an excellent addition to sandy-soil gardens, offering both food and improved soil structure. They grow so much each year, which provides a consistent supply of green material to mulch. This is currently my top producer for mulch in the garden, and I use a mini mulcher with the Ecoflow battery pack to give me cordless solar power anywhere in the garden.

Cassava (Manihot esculenta)

Cassava is a tough, resilient root crop that thrives in hot, dry climates and nutrient-poor soil.

Benefits of Cassava:

  • Grows well in sandy, well-draining soil
  • Produces large, starchy tubers that can be boiled, fried, or made into flour
  • Fast-growing, reaching 2-3m tall in one season
  • Drought-tolerant once established
  • Leaves are edible when cooked
  • Chop-and-drop plant for mulch and soil improvement
  • Helps prevent soil erosion with its strong root system

Cassava is an excellent survival crop that helps build soil health and provides a reliable food source.

Mulching for the win!

If you’re gardening in sandy soil, these five plants to grow for mulch will help improve organic matter, retain moisture, and build long-term soil fertility. By growing multi-functional, fast-growing plants, you can create a thriving, resilient garden—even in harsh conditions.

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Watch the full video for more info on mulching

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Are you growing any of these plants? Let me know in the comments! And if you found this helpful, share it with fellow gardeners.

Happy gardening!
Holly 🌿

Pigeon Pea : A Versatile Permaculture Powerhouse

Pigeon Pea : A Versatile Permaculture Powerhouse

Pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan) is a fast-growing, nitrogen-fixing shrub that thrives in poor soil conditions while providing multiple benefits to the garden. Whether you’re looking for a hardy pioneer plant, a nutritious food source, or an effective soil builder, pigeon pea is a must-have in any sustainable garden or food forest.

Are you struggling with poor sandy soil and crispy plants from not enough summer shade? Then keep reading because this easy-to-grow edible plant could be the answer!

Benefits of Growing Pigeon Pea in a Permaculture Garden

1. Pigeon Pea Improves Soil Health

Pigeon pea is an excellent nitrogen fixer, meaning it naturally enriches the soil by pulling nitrogen from the air and making it available to other plants. This is especially valuable in poor, sandy soils where organic matter is often lacking. Additionally, its deep taproot helps break up compacted soil, improving aeration and water retention. It is a great plant to grow in newly established gardens where soil quality is low.

2. Creates Dappled Shade

This shrub grows quickly and provides light, dappled shade that protects lower-growing plants from harsh sun exposure. This makes it an excellent companion plant for young fruit trees and vegetable crops that benefit from reduced heat stress.

3. Attracts Beneficial Insects & Pollinators

The bright yellow flowers of pigeon pea are highly attractive to bees, butterflies, and other beneficial insects. These pollinators help increase biodiversity in your garden and improve the yield of surrounding fruiting plants.

4. Nutritious & Versatile Edible Crop

Pigeon peas are a rich source of protein, carbohydrates, and fiber, making them a valuable addition to a self-sufficient diet. They can be eaten in various ways:

  • Fresh in salads
  • Steamed like edamame
  • Cooked in stews and curries
  • Made into burger patties
  • Dried and stored for long-term use

Not only are pigeon peas beneficial for human consumption, but they also make excellent high-protein animal feed.

5. Provides Abundant Biomass & Mulch

Pigeon pea produces a significant amount of organic material that can be cut back and used as mulch. This helps retain soil moisture, suppress weeds, and build healthy soil over time. Regular pruning encourages new growth and keeps the plant productive.

6. Windbreak & Habitat for Wildlife

This shrub can be grown as a hedge to provide wind protection for more delicate plants. It also creates shelter for small birds and insects, enhancing the overall ecosystem of your garden.

7. Pioneer Plant for New Gardens

Pigeon pea is an ideal “pioneer” species for establishing new gardens. This means it helps pave the way for establishing more valuable long-term crops. It offers:

  • Fast-growing shade
  • Nutrient-rich mulch
  • Green material for composting
  • Pollinator attraction
  • Wind protection
  • Thrives in poor soil
  • Drought tolerant

It is a short-lived perennial, typically lasting 4-5 years, making it perfect for supporting other plants in the early stages of a food forest or permaculture system. As your garden grows and your main fruit tree crops start to get established you can prune back and remove the Pigeon Pea to make room. With so much seed available you will be able to re-grow more plants in other areas of the garden.

How to Grow Pigeon Pea

Pigeon Pea Planting & Soil Requirements

  • Thrives in well-draining soil, including poor, sandy soil
  • Pigeon Pea prefers full sun but can grow in semi-shade positions
  • Drought-tolerant once established
  • Grows well from seed planted directly in the ground
  • Doesn’t like frosts, but can be grown as an annual crop in cooler climates
  • Doesn’t like wet feet as this can cause the roots to rot. Plant on mounded soil to help improve drainage in wet areas.

Maintenance & Care

  • Minimal care is required once established
  • Benefits from regular pruning to encourage bushy growth and biomass production. It also helps with the ease of harvesting peas at a more manageable height.
  • Pigeon Pea can be interplanted with fruit trees, vegetables, or other nitrogen-demanding plants

Harvesting & Usage

  • Harvest fresh peas when pods are still green
  • Leave pods to dry on the plant for long-term storage of dried peas
  • Regular pruning ensures continuous production and plant health

Pigeon Pea Permaculture

This pioneer plant is an invaluable addition to any permaculture garden, offering multiple benefits such as soil improvement, food production, pollinator support, and natural wind protection. Whether you’re starting a new garden or enhancing an existing one, this resilient shrub will help create a thriving, self-sustaining ecosystem.

Start growing Pigeon Pea today and enjoy its many rewards in your sustainable garden!

10 Perennial Edible Climbing Vines for productive gardens

10 Perennial Edible Climbing Vines for productive gardens

Edible Climbing Vines help maximise growing space and double the amount of food in each garden bed or container. One thing that I think is so underrated is the ability to grow food up 👆

Today I am going to share a list of edible climbers to grow in your garden and utilise vertical space and create shade and protection. These 10 edible climbing vines are perennials which means they will produce more and more food each year without us having to replant them!

There are so many incredible reasons you should be growing food vertically.

Not only to maximize space but also to increase airflow to reduce rot or disease, strategic shade, or like me to reduce some of the heat in my garden by covering my ugly fences!

Click to watch for bonus Planting Tips 👇

Annuals vs Perennials 🌿

Annuals will allow you to still change up your garden beds each season and have the flexibility of space. Whereas perennials (which grow for longer than 2 years) will allow you to get a crop established and provide long-term protection and produce more and more food each year.

10 Perennial Edible Climbing Vines

1. Passionfruit

Passionfruit is one of my favourite fruits to eat and the main reason I am growing this edible climber in my garden. They are also evergreen so it has leaves all year round to create shade and protection. Passionfruit have thick, lush leaves so they work perfectly to cover fences or create screens to block out unsightly structures or areas.

Watch the video above to see how to plant passionfruit from a store-bought fruit!

BONUS TIP: Purchase a passionfruit plant that is NOT grafted. Grafted passionfruit needs to be carefully maintained or the rootstock can quickly take over and become invasive with no fruit.

2. Choko /Chayote

Choko is a quick-growing vining edible plant that can make great summer shade to protect your summer garden. They will often die back over winter but will pop up and regrow each spring. Any fruits left on the ground will also easily regrow.

Choko are similar to a large zucchini or marrow and can be used as a substitute for potatoes or even apples to bulk up pie recipes.

3. Sweet Potato

Growing Sweet Potatoes / Kūmara (Ipomoea batatas) in your home garden is a great step toward self-sufficiency. They are my favourite permaculture plant and are an easy crop to grow for beginner gardeners. It is important to grow plants that support and encourage other plants and beneficial insects in your garden. Creating a cohesive ecosystem that promotes the growth and success of your garden’s health and supports abundant harvests.

Sweet potatoes send out runners and can easily be trained up a vertical trellis. Plus, many people do not know that the leaves of the sweet potato plant are also edible.

4. Grapes

The great thing about growing grapes as edible climbers is that they are deciduous. This means they lose their leaves in winter so you can plant grapes strategically to provide shade in summer and let light through in winter!

5. Malabar Spinach

Malabar spinach is a fantastic edible climber for warm or tropical climates. It thrives in summer during warm weather when most other spinach and leafy greens die off. This can help fill the gaps in your seasonal harvests. Malabar spinach can be grown in pots or containers. It has succulent-like leaves so can handle hot weather but it can be frost sensitive.

6. Butterfly Pea

If you love colour then this edible climber will be perfect for you! With bright blue-purple flowers the butterfly pea is a striking addition to an edible garden. The flowers can be used as a natural food colouring or infused in teas or cocktails. Plus, if you add acidity such as lemon juice the colour will transform to hot pink! Such a fun plant to grow.

7. Kiwifruit

Kiwifruit can be grown over structures to create great canopy shade. They are prolific produces and the fruit can be eaten fresh, frozen for smoothies, made into jams and even dehydrated for naturally sweet treats. You will need to have both a male and a female plant for pollination.

8. Kiwiberry

Kiwi berries have a similar taste to the kiwifruit but are much smaller around the same size as a grape. Kiwi berry vines grow really well in containers or urban gardens.

9. Nasturtium

Nasturtium is often known for its wild rambling nature but it can be trained vertically as an edible climber. The whole plant is edible including the leaves, flowers and seed pods. Nasturtium has a strong peppery taste and can be used in salads, flavoured salts, pickles and many other recipes. Here in Perth, my Nasturtium dies down in summer but will pop up and regrow by itself in Autumn/winter.

10. Scarlett Runner Bean

Scarlet runner beans are also known as the 7-year bean because they pop up and regrow each year (for about 6-7 years). Beans are a great addition to an edible garden and can easily be cooked or frozen to preserve.

Annual Climbing Vines 🌿

Annual climbers are also great because they don’t need dedicated space so you can grow, harvest and remove then grow something different each season! Having a mix of annuals and perennials will help you grow more food all year round.

Annual climbers can be plants such as Cucumber, Squash, Tomatoes, Pumpkin, and Melons.

Want to learn more about my favourite Perennials? Download the Free Ebook Here

Lemon Balm

Lemon Balm

Plant of The Month

Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis) is a perennial herb with fragrant lemon-scented leaves. Lemon balm is part of the Mint family and is known for having weed life growth and self-seeds easily. With hundreds of small white flowers, the lemon balm is a powerful bee attractant. It has toothed edges and slightly hairy leaves with a lemony scent.

Lemon balm-like many herbs has been traditionally used to aid in an array of health conditions. With calming and relaxing properties as well as anti-viral and anti-bacterial qualities, lemon balm is a great addition to a kitchen garden.

What parts of Lemon Balm are edible?

PLANT

Spring after the last frost. Can be grown all year round in many climates.

SOIL

Fertile, moist, well-drained soil. Will grow in most soil types.

LOCATION

Full sun – Dappled or shaded position.

CARE

Regular watering – is a thirsty plant.

FERTILISE

Easy to grow and doesn’t need much help.

PESTS

Snails, slaters, and aphids.

HARVEST

Harvest regularly to keep contained.

REPRODUCE

Grows easily from cuttings or save seeds after flowering.

Why Grow Lemon Balm?

There are many reasons to grow Lemon Balm and it is so easy to grow!

Here are some of the many reasons to grow Lemon Balm

  • Easy to grow
  • Fragrant lemon scent and flavour
  • Grows well in containers
  • Low maintenance
  • Pollinator plant
  • Relaxant
  • Antiviral
  • Aids in Cold sores
  • Great for teas
  • Salad dressings
  • Cut and come again harvest
  • Pest resistant
  • Reduce stress and anxiety

When to Plant Lemon Balm

Lemon balm grows well most of the year. new plants should be planted after the last frost. If planting in summer keep well watered.

How to Grow Lemon Balm

  • Choose a sunny spot with dappled or part shade in the heat of summer.
  • Prepare the soil with rich compost
  • Direct sow seeds or plant in seed trays first.
  • 1 plant is plenty.
  • Can benefit from protection during the heat of summer.

Care/ Maintenance

Lemon balm like Mint is a thirsty plant. Keep well watered and have a drip tray for pots. Cut back the plant after it has finished flowering to promote new growth.

Pests / Disease

Lemon Balm is pretty hardy and will thrive with minimal effort. Use natural pest management.

How/ When to Harvest

  • Once the plant is well-established harvest sprigs as needed.
  • Use clean, sharp kitchen scissors to cut your harvest, or just pick with your hands to prevent the spreading of diseases.
  • Cut and come again crop that will regrow quickly. I often harvest and use in cold drinks or teas every other day.

Reproducing

Take cuttings and allow to root in a jar of water. Refresh the water every few days. Seeds can also be saved and will flower with white flowers on the stem. Once the seeds form and turn brown, collect them and dry them further. Keep in a dark, cool and dry environment.

Cooking and Using Lemon Balm

Lemon balm is best used fresh. Dried leaves lose their scent and flavour.

Lemon Balm pairs well with: Garlic, Citrus, Lettuce, Lavender, Cucumber, Radish, Fish, Fennel

Lemon Balm ideas:

  • Salads
  • Salad dressing
  • Stirfry
  • Soup
  • Teas
  • Iced drinks
  • Iceblocks

Preserving the Harvest

Lemon Balm is best used fresh but can be infused to make the flavour last.

  • Essential oil
  • Infused vinegar
  • Essences

Medicinal Uses:

  • Cold Sores – Make a strong infused tea or oil and apply it to the affected area 3-5 times a day
  • Insect Bites – Make a strong infused tea or oil and apply it to the affected area 3-5 times a day or rub crushed leaves on the spot
  • Stress and anxiety – Brew a calming tea using fresh leaves

Lemon Balm Posts

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