Asparagus question

[Waffler]

So what with one thing and another (mainly work) I didn't get round to ordering my crowns (T&M had a last order date of 30th April - oops!) Whilst having enormous difficulty finding crowns anywhere, I have found somewhere which says that they sell them as plants at this stage in the year. Now I may be wrong, but I thought I'd heard that it isn't very easy to grow them from plants and they perform better from crowns. Does anyone know if this is the case? Also, if they come in regular pots, how does one go about planting it, when usually you'd sit the roots either side of the ridge? Pot contents on the ridge? Roots teased out down the ridge?
I REALLY don't want to have missed the boat for this year, but equally don't want to waste my money, time and effort.

Any thought gratefully received.

[palborn]

Hi Waffler

Saw your thread and had a quick look in my copy of the DK Encyclopaedia of Organic Gardening (my bible!). You should be fine as it says:

"For module grown transplants plant up to early summer at a depth of 10cm"

What it doesn't say is what age these plants should be when you plant them but I imagine they would have been sown this year?

Hope this helps .

[Waffler]

Hmm! I think they're suppsed to be 1 year old crowns, which I take to mean they will have been planted as I should've done earlier, but in pots.
Thanks for the info.

[sarahspatch]

Hi Waffler,
where abouts in wiltshire are you? I know that Whitehall Garden Centre near Chippenham had pot-grown plants a few weeks ago.
I think the pot grown plants must be one year old crowns too, they just allow you to plant them later!

[rustylady]

Hi Waffler, I've finally planted out my seed grown plants. Two years old and in pots and they're romping away. I do think there's a bit of "mystique" thrown up around asparagus. As long as you don't let the roots dry out they should be fine, after all it used to grow wild in this country.

[Waffler]

Hi Waffler,
where abouts in wiltshire are you? I know that Whitehall Garden Centre near Chippenham had pot-grown plants a few weeks ago.
I think the pot grown plants must be one year old crowns too, they just allow you to plant them later!

Whitehall is a home from home for me! I don't know why I didn't think of it. I looked at their bagged crowns and thought they looked a bit dry and measly, but I shall investigate potted plants now. Thanks for that.

Thanks to your comments I am going to attempt to get myself some pot grown asparagus and get this asparagus bed well and truly on its way. Having paid £2.99 for 10 spears recently, which were really stringy and not nice, I really hope that this venture works out.