Growing Asparagus..

[JimmerG]

Hi all..... I'm brand new here, so here's a big hello from me!

I'd like to kick off with this...... having taken on an allotment last year - and discovered how much free time they demand, I've decided to dedicate an area to asparagus, so at least I've got one area in production that doesn't need too much work.

I've read about asparagus plants that arrive in plugs of soil, that can be planted all year round. Mary Washington was one particular variety, Jersey Knight was the other.

Has anyone tried these? does it sound like a viable idea? Could I really plant these in December? Assuming of course I get a nice bed of deeply dug compost, maybe a bit of lime etc.

What do we think?

[gojiberry]

I would think that if you are buying plugs you are going to have to be very patient before you get a crop. Even buying plants you usually have to wait 2/3 years before harvesting and I would think plugs are going to take at least an extra year. Still well worth the wait. Wilkinsons usually have asparagus plants in packets that can be planted this time of the year, providing the ground isn't waterlogged or frozen. Asparagus likes a well drained soil so if yours tends to hold to much water plant the crowns on a mound of sharp sand. Good luck. One other thing, it helps everyone giving advice if they know what part of the country you live in, just put the location in your profile.

[bobleponge]

JimmerG,
Welcome firstly. As Gojiberry has said, you should be able to plant them out if the soil is dry and workable.
You do have to wait a couple of years, I've never grown plugs so cant comment, but crowns need time to mature. If you cut too much on your first and second years growth you can destroy the crowns.
Light soil is the important thing for asparagus. Get as much sand as you dare inside, my asparagus bed is probably 80% sand but my soil is very heavy clay.

[crazy_red]

I'm very patient

Can you grow asparagus in containers too?

Red x

[rogesse]

I'm a novice at asparagus myself and have never heard of asparagus plugs before - but would recommend against planting in december unless you have ideal conditions. I speak from bitter (40 plants) experience - I will be starting again this year as they all rotted

[rogesse]

I'm a novice at asparagus myself and have never heard of asparagus plugs before - but would recommend against planting in december unless you have ideal conditions. I speak from bitter (40 plants) experience - I will be starting again this year as they all rotted

[kitchengardner]

Hi all..... I'm brand new here, so here's a big hello from me!

I'd like to kick off with this...... having taken on an allotment last year - and discovered how much free time they demand, I've decided to dedicate an area to asparagus, so at least I've got one area in production that doesn't need too much work.

I've read about asparagus plants that arrive in plugs of soil, that can be planted all year round. Mary Washington was one particular variety, Jersey Knight was the other.

Has anyone tried these? does it sound like a viable idea? Could I really plant these in December? Assuming of course I get a nice bed of deeply dug compost, maybe a bit of lime etc.

What do we think?

I wouldn't bother with plugs they tend to be rather sickly, much better to use crowns. As others have said good drainage is essential and a raised bed really helps with this, avoid frost pockets. Asparagus are heavy feeders so work in lots of well rotted dung and compost. It is fine to plant now as long as the ground is not frozen. If you cover the soil with straw and then a tarpulin once planted until early spring this will minimise loses. Remember to remove this and replace with fleece in spring. It is essential you do not crop the first year after planting and only take sparingly the second year to allow the plant to establish, you should get 20 years worth of crops.

Regards

Kitchen Gardener

[kitchengardner]

I'm very patient

Can you grow asparagus in containers too?

Red x

Your certainly can, the trick is to use a big pot (ie use 2ft half barrels) and only plant in 1-2 crowns. However it is essential to feed with liquid seaweed weekly when the plant starts cropping until the last of the foliage dies back in autumn. You will not get a large crop (but my 3 pots yield 2-3meals a week in season) but the taste is superb

Regards

Kitchen Gardener

[crazy_red]

Thanks KG.

I think I might give it a go.

Could I plant anything else in the barrel, once the asparagus was well established, such as summer bedding, to make it more interesting for the rest of the season?

Red

[Paulottie]

Hi all..... I'm brand new here, so here's a big hello from me!

I've decided to dedicate an area to asparagus, so at least I've got one area in production that doesn't need too much work.

I've read about asparagus plants that arrive in plugs of soil, that can be planted all year round. Mary Washington was one particular variety, Jersey Knight was the other.

Has anyone tried these? does it sound like a viable idea? Could I really plant these in December? Assuming of course I get a nice bed of deeply dug compost, maybe a bit of lime etc.

Hello and Welcome to the vine.

I would lavish attention on the bed instead if I were you. REALLY well weeded, double dug, added ton of muck and seaweed and allowed to settle. Then take out the trench in March, plant shallowly in April and cover slowly over the rest of the year. You must put in the work in to start with; Otherwise the bed will worked out and weed ridden before you know it.

There is absolutely no advantage to planting new asparagus crowns in winter. It is riskier and you'll wait just as long for your first crop. I'd suggest you order your FRESH crowns for delivery by a specialist supplier in April. KEEP them damp and plant immediately to your waiting home..... they will get a better start. don't cut ANYTHING for 2 years and watch out for the beetle/grubs If you choose hybrid f1 crowns they will establish quite quickly. buy QUALITY AND DO THE JOB RIGHT- A MISTAKE IS EXPENSIVE AND TIME-CONSUMING IN THE LONG RUN.... oops caps lock!

Re; varieties ...I dislike American politics and I have Dutch blood so you won't see me growing those varieties. .I'd go with Gijnlym for an F1 or Connover's colossal ....for a good solid English choice.

Good luck

I'm very patient

Can you grow asparagus in containers too?

Red x

It is possible, for fun I suppose, if you have no land; but too hard to keep it going for long in my opinion. You're never going to get the fat juicy spears in impoverished circumstances...they are big plants

[JimmerG]

Thankyou all for your help - I reckon I'll avoid these winter plantable plugs, I saw a picture on a website, and they did seem a little weedy - and at 70p per plant, you have to wonder what you're getting.

So here's another question, asparagus like manure and lime, of course these are not to be mixed. I've got heavy clay soil so I'll be making raised beds, using a lot of sand/grit, would home made compost and lime be a better idea? or should I use manure this year and lime next year??

I've bucket loads of pelleted chicken manure - could this be incorporated in the scheme somewhere?

What do you think?

[Paulottie]

Forget the lime this year, a clay soil tends to hold onto nutrients well anyway. Muck, compost(as long as it has come from a hot enough heap to kill weeds etc.) and lots of grit now.

Chicken pellets won't harm as extra boost around planting time. Test the soil Ph next year and add lime then if necessary.

70p is quite cheap actually!(not if they fail) but they are probably only a few months old...better to pay a £1 for year or two old crowns that will definately succeed (with two year old there is a better chance of only receiving male crowns.

[crazy_red]

70p is quite cheap actually!(not if they fail) but they are probably only a few months old...better to pay a £1 for year or two old crowns that will definately succeed (with two year old there is a better chance of only receiving male crowns.

So, if you order crowns you could end up with female plants?

If you were to grow from seed, how would you go about selecting only the male plants to grow on?

There is obviously a trick to sexing these plants

[bobleponge]

Jimmer I have clay soil and have my asparagus in raised beds. As I said before, they are in probably 80% sand with the rest being manure and compost. They need good drainage so with a heavy clay underneath you need to ensure they can drain or they wont be any good.

[Paulottie]

They are very difficult to sex and often don't flower till the second year...from seed I pot on and grow in larger pots for a 2nd year(need a lot of feed and water though) still one or two get through.

That said when I ordered crowns originally years ago 25% turned out to be female!!...I replaced a couple and saved the rest for seed production. I don't let them stay there for long in autumn so they don't set little babies everywhere