Has anyone grown asparagus in pots?

[Helgalush]

As title. I love asparagus but dont have a plot or beds that I could grow it in. I have read that if the pots are big enough you can do it, but just wondered if anyone has done it successfully and how difficult it is.

Thanks
Helen

[wellie]

Helgalush, I'm rarely here on The Grapevine these days, but I saw your thread this evening, and wanted to say this:

Trousers and I dug up and put into pots some very respectable 3 year old Asparagus crowns when we moved house a year ago, almost to the day. I cannot believe it, but they are just starting to poke up throgh the compost/soil once again..... and after the hard winter that we've all experienced, I never thought I'd ever see those babies again.
So it makes them even more welcome, and will tide us over until the new Sparagusses are fit for harvesting in a year or two.
Be Patient, and yes. anything's possible. Just look after it?

[Helgalush]

Helgalush, I'm rarely here on The Grapevine these days, but I saw your thread this evening, and wanted to say this:

Trousers and I dug up and put into pots some very respectable 3 year old Asparagus crowns when we moved house a year ago, almost to the day. I cannot believe it, but they are just starting to poke up throgh the compost/soil once again..... and after the hard winter that we've all experienced, I never thought I'd ever see those babies again.
So it makes them even more welcome, and will tide us over until the new Sparagusses are fit for harvesting in a year or two.
Be Patient, and yes. anything's possible. Just look after it?

Hello Wellie

Thank you for taking the time to reply. Very interested to hear that you have had success with your asparagus, well done! It must be so rewarding to get your own asparagus - I think they are one of the best veggies around...

As I dont know anything about growing asparagus, please are you able to tell me how much space they need, where you get the crowns from, how far to plant apart, and where I can get growing information myself?

Thanks so much, enjoy your asparagus when they come up!!

Helen

[wellie]

Helen, you're kind with your compliments, and Asparagus is not difficult to grow, so I'm sure that you can achieve good results yourself.
I promise you that you will be as good a grower as the rest of us.
Just be sure to follow the proper advice from the outset.
And whatever you do, DON'T cut corners.... Decide where you want your Asparagus Bed to be in your garden or on your allotment. Choose the site very carefully. It needs to be completely free of perennial weeds, or you will struggle to keep it weed-free every, every year.
It IS a daunting thought that your Asparagus bed will start now, and be there next year too, and to be perfectly honest with you, it's going to get 'better' and 'better' and 'better' every single year. If you want it to, and if you take care of it.

Depending on how many people you have in your family to feed, this is a 'luxury' vegetable that takes a considerable amount of space in your growing plot for the next 20 years. I have 26 plants in a straight line, spaced at 18 inches apart, and I shall be leaving those new one-year-old crowns to mature for another year, with respect.
The other 3-year old crowns (Connover's), in big pots, are my 'Big Boys' and have survived being dug up, transported and lumped around the countryside, and are just 'begging' to be eaten now in their fourth year.

As I said, depending on how much space you have to dedicate to an Asparagus bed, choose a few varieties to give you an early, mid and late-season harvest.

Don't be shy of asking more questions.... If I'm not able to help you in any way, there will be many more peeps that will.X

[Paulottie]

I think Helen may have meant continuing in pots Wellie.

Bigger the pots the better really and choose a loam based mix for you pots not just MP...they have huge rootsystems when established enough to produce decent sized spears. The big thing is that you are gong to have to keep em constantly fed and watered while they are in fern (and not just sat in water )....that is a big ask...(for a busy numbskull like myself anyway)

As Wellie said it is not difficult otherwise.

[wellie]

Yup! (see Wellie hold her hands up.....Note to Self: Just because YOU think you know what you're doing, don't ever presume that other people know what you mean?!)...

I had indeed presumed that the 'Sparagusses were being potted 'temporarily', so I apologise for any confusion.
However, I do remember that Pigletwillie does permanently grow some 'Sparagus in really deep containers in some of his polytunnels for an early crop.
Not sure if he still does, but he might be worth 'tapping' for a bit of expert advice maybe.X