Q: Plannning Plot for Asparagus

[Cadalot]

OK Grapes some help please if you can, it's winter and I'm playing around with my allotment plans. I really love eating asparagus and I have been meaning to get some in especially as you don't take anything in the first year 50% in the second and don't get a full harvest until the third and for the next 20+

So there needs to be permanent beds for it. Looking at my plan attached, I'm thinking of inserting 600x600 beds at the end or the paths and using these for everlasting Onions, Asparagus and Rhubarb. My question is would one crown in each 600 x 600 bed be OK and would you foresee any future problems with what I am proposing?

Beds 17 & 18 are 600 wide by 1.8m long so I would get 4 crowns in each bed at the recommended 450mm centres

Marshalls have a Chefs choice option in there 2017 catalogue 3 varieties 5 crowns of each pacific 2000, Araine & Millennium plus a free harvesting knife for £14.99 which looks like a good deal as the knife sells for £6.99

[rary]

I really don't know the answer to your question, but if you have the space give it a go as you would always be wondering how it would have worked. I will say that I have a bed of asparagus with six plants and this will be the fourth year, if it doesn't give a better return this year I will be taking it out as I don't have the space to waste for the return I got this year

[Cadalot]

Rary what variety did you grow and how much space and number of crowns did you start with. I'm wondering is single crown in a 600 x 600mm beds is viable?

[Mr Bones]

Looks like a good plan to utilise space Cads, I don't see why it wouldn't work. Just as an aside of our two four year old beds the better drained one is far more productive.

[Snadger]

I will follow this thread with interest as I too fancy a go with asparagus this year.I have a bed about 2.5metres X 1.5 metre earmarked for this. Because the foliage is quite ornate, even wondered about dotting a few plants in my flower garden at home?

[Deano's "Diggin It"]

Hi Cad

Gis a mo, was out having my work's Christmas Lunch yesterday, so feeling a little ragged around the edges, but bought the said same "Marshalls" collection you mention 4 years ago, and the return, yeah having to wait for it to establish was a bit of a pain, but last years harvest was excellent.

Let me go trapse through a few picture's, back in a jiff!

[Cadalot]

Thanks Deano lookg forward to seeing the photos and seeing and hearing how you keep them weed free as I believe the roots are very near the surface.

[Deano's "Diggin It"]

Right!

These were the beds I set up, 3 beds, 3ft by 4ft old money!



Now I dug down to a depth of about 3ft, ensured all perennial weeds were arradicated, as asparagus can't compete, and on "Back filling" encorparate huggings n huggings of grit to make it as free draining as possible.



Doesn't look much I know, but thats because you have to crop on a very regular basis, as the time window for harvesting is very limited, but with the 3 variety's mentioned, spread over a month n half, and if you don't keep on top, and turn your back for a few day's, they are very keen to want to bolt!



I was happily gathering bunches like this every 2 days,



Although an initial faff! Well worth the return in my opinion!

[Miss Mousetrousers]

Deano's beds look great. Forgive me if you already know this but when you plant the crowns, dig your trenches then create a firm ridge so the crowns are on the top and the roots are spread out down the sides. I agree with getting your drainage right and my lovely Geoff Hamilton had a 4 foot raised bed, so if your soil is a bit clarty I'd raise the height of the bed (possibly do it anyway) as the soil level will sink over time so you need room to add more grit, compost or whatever.

[Cadalot]

Deano as Miss Mousetrousers says your beds look really good, but now you have me thinking do I dedicate a whole 2.4m x 1.2m bed to them perhaps 13 or 14 and used 17 and 18 for runner beans and grow over an arch between the two greenhouse frames that will form fruit cages? It would be easier to prep the bed. How do you keep your asparagus bed so weed free, are you using a mulch of some kind?

Miss Mousetrousers I had found a YouTube video by Thompson & Morgan that shoes what you describe at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5jaOYly-jI so I was aware but thank you for pointing it out

[Deano's "Diggin It"]

Cad! I'm a "Weed Freak" Do everything by hand! And cant give you an answer to what your wanting!

Your decision!

But as MMT says, They do defoe need "Ridging" but the crowns need to be no higher than soil level

Oh to be a gardener!

[Bigmallly]

I've always fancied growing Asparagus myself but never got round to it. So thanks Cad for the kick up the arris, I've ordered the Marshalls' deal so will be interesting to compare notes.

[veggiechicken]

I'm joining in too but I'm doing it the hard way - with seeds.
Namely Ariane F1 that you can harvest a light crop on the first year - so it says on the blurb! We'll see

[Deano's "Diggin It"]

VC! You will be disapointed! Honest! Be there done that! Your choice!

[veggiechicken]

I've tried growing asparagus from roots twice over the years and been disappointed (probably my fault) so it can't be worse, Deano.
I'll think about it