best way to prep the soil?

[janeyo]

Hi I have earmarked a stretch of garden for asparagus and artichokes next year. It gets good sun and drains well.

It is quite dry and poor at the moment though as it used to have a brick raided bed on top of it and we took it away. There are a few worms at the mo, more than a few months ago.

How is the best way to prep it for spring?

I have good compost ready. Should I out it down now and cover it with cardboard? Or wait til spring but cover it anyway?

Not sure what to do for the best. Haven't got any manure, but got half rotted chicken poo not quite ready.

Any advice please? Thanks

janeyo

[snuffer]

Soil Prep.

Hi janeyo. Don't know if artichokes like the same conditions as asparagus but heres what i did to prepare my asparagus bed last year and it's worked a treat.

If your soil is already well draining no need to add extra grit or sand or though bare in mind that adding plenty of compost will make the soil more moisture retentive. Add plenty of compost and well rotted manure (even if you have to buy it in from the garden centre) Make sure you get it in good and deep (no Haywayne there is no intended double entendre there) because the asparagus will be planted on ridges at the bottom of a trench. When planting add some slow release bonemeal to aid root growth and cover with about three inches of your 'fortified' soil. When the spears are coming through add another three inches. Hence the need for 'going deep'.

As far as I am aware the most important thing is good drainage. Asparagus does not like to be stood with its feet in the water.

Hope this helps. Have fun.

[vicky]

Make sure you dig out ALL perennial weeds - cos you won't want to be disturbing the roots (asparagus) after they're planted.

[PAULW]

I saw a program on the tele where the person covered his asperagus bed with gravel, the spears grew through this and it kept the weeds down.

[bobleponge]

I was given 3 asparagus crowns from a friend who has too many????? They were in tubs of basically sand with a slight amount of well rotted manure. When I put them in my garden I simply dug a hole as big as the tub, tipped out the asparagus and placed them, sand and all, into the hole. This worked fine. As snuffer said, they dont like their roots being wet, so drainage is very very important.
Other than that, in 3 years time, enjoy.

Homesick in Sudan