asparagus

[miker2d2]

I have some crowns which i planted in a tub last year, i have just noticed the first spear is coming up!

I am planning on building a raised bed for asparagus and buying some more crowns, will the crowns in the tub be ok if i trans plant them?

I also have some mini crowns which I grew from seeds last year, they are still in the tray they grew in. not sure what would be best to do with them, they are really small?

Thanks in advance,

hoping spring is on the way

[Kristen]

I have some crowns which i planted in a tub last year, i have just noticed the first spear is coming up!

I am planning on building a raised bed for asparagus and buying some more crowns, will the crowns in the tub be ok if i trans plant them?

Yes

I also have some mini crowns which I grew from seeds last year, they are still in the tray they grew in. not sure what would be best to do with them, they are really small?

I think they probably would have been better off if you had potted them individually (I grew some from seed and potted them on to 2L pots, and then planted out in their final positions the following spring). I'm not sure if there is any problem with them having been starved of space and so on for their first year, but I think if you planted them out (as if they were full blown crows - so same soil preparation, same planting distance) they will probably be fine. They will be smaller, and less able to compete with any weeds, so I think it would be prudent to mollycoddle them the first year

[Dottie]

I was given a large tub that contained aparagus, but had no idea how many there were or how old. As I already had a bed prepared, I then dug a hole as large as the tub in the centre of the bed, had the base of the tub sawn off and placed the tub which contained asparagus into the hole. The sides of the tub were lifted up, and I back filled the hole and watered the new asparagus bed. The roots were not disturbed and the asparagus sent up shoots in spring, but I didn't cut any the first year, as I decided to treat them as 1st year crowns. A few years on and I expect to get to a really good crop this year and will cut whatever I need, as they are now fully established.

I had no experience of growing asparagus, but had read that they hate having their roots disturbed and need a weed free prepared bed, as they can crop for 20 years. The large tub was also put to good use, for growing spuds and this year I grew parsnips in it, as I treat it just like a round plastic raised bed. So all worked out well and everything still thriving.

Good luck with your replanting and just plant them up when it suits you, as in next year if your not ready this year.

[Kristen]

I think if they are only a year old it is worth "disturbing" the roots. Particularly if they may have been pot-bound and their roots followed round the container - as unless their roots are laid out star-shaped they may be inclined to carry on growing round-and-round.

I think also worth planting on a mound of sharp sand (if your soil is heavy)

But having said that a dustbin is pretty large, and planting out form that, undisturbed, is probably going to be no hindrance to root growth

[Jeanied]

Whatever you do, give them a good mulch of well rotted fym. I found they forgive a bit easier if you feed them!

[miker2d2]

thanks

I will follow the advice and get them into a prepared bed, see what happens, I'll get a few more crowns anyway, going to dedicate a bit more space to it.

when the bed is fully planted will the asparagus seed new crowns themselves?

Mike

[Kristen]

thanks
when the bed is fully planted will the asparagus seed new crowns themselves?

Usually when you buy crowns they are all-Male, and so do not set seed. If you do have any female plants then they will be inclined to set seed, which is generally rather a nuisance in an asparagus bed as you don't want to disturb the roots and extra plants will mean that they are two crowded. You can not "divide" Asparagus plants (as far as I know - the advice always seems to be not to disturb them once they are established, hence I doubt that they can be "split")

Asparagus seed is available in all-male F1 varieties, and also open-pollinated varieties (which will have both male and female plants)

[miker2d2]

Thanks again kristen, I understand the beds are productive for a long time so I would like to set it up correctly.

Mike

[Kristen]

I did that for mine ... handful of sharp horticultural sand under each crown, lovingly sorted out the roots in a star shape, have mulched the ground with my best well rotted manure and compost for two years ... I hope its going to be worth it!

[maksevrod]

Composted for two years?
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