Asparagus

[Clarea1]

Hi, today I purchased an aspragus crown, I have seen a few differnt insructions but they vary considerable. The instructions on the pack are poor.

Do i have to leave it for some time... like a year or 2... or 3?

Has anyone grown asparagus with success and can offer some advice?

[trc-trc]

Aspragus

Hi

See the article under gardenguide for November - gives you advice on
how to grow.


http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gar...5/november.php

Would suggest more than 1 crown - if for eating.

[Nicos]

Asparagus

We recently located a fantastic asparagus farm in Delamere Cheshire ( he supplies most of the top London restaurants with various types), and found the farmer to be a mine of information about it - unsurprisingly I suppose!

First, I'd recommend that you grow more than just one crown as it occupies the ground for up to 20 years, so you may want a few more to make it worth while.

This farmer plants his in double rows and strangely sprinkles rock salt on them as apparently they are very salt tolerant - and it seems to be beneficial to the taste and texture of the shoots and as most other weeds are not so tolerant it'll ensure that the area is kept relatively weed free. He suggests that you cut the shoots before 11 am as after that the flavour deteriorates in the sun, and don't pick after mid-summers day. Personally I found whatever time of day we picked our first few shoots, they tasted better than anything from M&S!
Our plants are now in their second season and should be producing edible shoots this spring. We couldn't resist taking the odd one last year of course. We have tentatively put some rock salt on - but could find that we kill the whole bloody lot off I suppose - If it really works we'll put more on this thread at that time !!

[CityChick]

Nicos - so glad you posted about the farmer planting asparagus in double rows! I was wondering if I could do that as that would fit in better with the widths of my beds.

[poshfan]

I put about 20 seedlings in a prepared bed last year and so far only 6/7 have come through this spring.......is that about average, does anyone know?

[Flummery]

When I had my old allotment, before we moved away, I had asparagus in a double row. It fitted the bed well. They were just starting to become prolific when we moved house! Haven't got room for them here (although I know you can occasionally buy just 2 or 3 plants form some suppliers - starting to get the urge again!)

[chickenjane]

The salt thing is true.
Didn;t know it was supposed to improve the flavour,but the asparagus is v salt tolerant & many other plants/weeds are not .

there's only one problem with asparagus ( apart from the depressingly short season) &that's a very pretty red & black bug called the Asparagus beetle.

[Paulottie]

Oh dear you've started him now! ...Asparagus comes from the salt marshes of Tunis. It is very salt tolerant you can apply to established beds in early march at 30g/sqm. slugs don't like it either. this is my first year with the salt thing but they are not dying yet. It is related to the lily and anyone who knows those *$£*^ beetles will see the similarity

I have a triple row 400mm apart. plants at 300mm spacings- in old money that's about 50 crowns in a bed 4' x 9yds. I can expect 25-30 spears a day for 10 weeks. I think it is the best thing you can grow especially as it fills the 'hungry gap' i'll stop at beginning of June this year as season is early this year. I have never regreted the space it takes up and i never have any difficulty placing the little we don't eat.

There is no doubt it is an investment that requires time (reduced a little by money for 1 or 2 yr crowns) planning and effort at the outset. It is essential you start with well prepared, manured and clean land. it will just become worked out and weed-choked otherwise. Best comment I heard was from and old dairy farmers wife..."b*gger the manure we used to bury the cow underneath" Obviously we don't all have dead cows to hand but we are talking 25yrs plus here.

It is getting late to start a bed this year. You would normally want to prepare the bed in autumn order your crowns and plant in april. Never let crowns dry out and even with f1 2yo male only hybrids you take nothing that season and pref the next, then cut for 6 weeks and till midsummer thereafter. I've posted planting instructions before but trench out and break up and manure the base then plant on small mound at bottom and cover withh a couple of inchs of soil , let ferns come then put 4" more soil on when you cut off yellowed ferns at the beginning of winter. Always love to talk on pet subject if you get stuck! Heres my bed!

[The Sage of Brouhaha]

I'm about to start preparing my asparagus bed ready for next year, although I think there's plenty else more urgent to do at the moment so I might end up not starting it for a while.
Here's what I was thinking of doing, but agree that the instructions can be a bit confusing. Could anyone cast their eye over it and let me know if I've got it right or wrong? The bit I'm never sure about is how deep to dig the trench if I want the top of the soil to be level after adding the soil as they grow.

The bed will be a raised wooden sided bed 1.2m by 2m, 15cm high.

-Remove all the soil from the raised bed, plus a bit below, so that the distance from the bottom to the top of the wood is just over 20cm.
-Dig the subsoil over and mix in some compost from the heap. The distance bottom to top will now be 20cm.
- Add 2 long mounds of compost about 8cm high, 60 cm apart for two rows of crowns and add 1yo crowns 30cm apart along the mounds, spreading the roots over the mounds. This will give me 12 crowns.
- Cover with 5cm soil/compost (so now about 5cm below top of bed).
- Once the asparagus starts growing, keep covering it with the remaining 5cm soil/compost so that eventually the bed will be level with the top of the wooden bed.
- Not cut it until 2009.

Would I be able to fit in an extra row without reducing their yield, and have 18 crowns?
Will 12 crowns be too much or too little for 2 people? I can happily eat asparagus every day!
Salting it sounds like a brilliant idea. Would it be a good idea to add a load when preparing the bed?
Any recommendations on which is the best for flavour?

Thanks!

[Paulottie]

Hello Sage,

All sounds excellent and well thought out. I'd say you would be able to fit in the three rows (18 crowns) at 400mm row centres plus 200mm to the edges of bed. spacing crowns at 300mm centres and offsetting middle row by 150mm.

Choose an all male hybrid (although with 1 yo crowns they won't be able to sex them that well and you may end up with a couple of females) I chose 2 yo dutch ones (being 1/2 dutch) Gijnlim, grolym and backlim. I think the slightly later backlim best. They all taste good just picked and free!

Choose two maybe? 10 of each and make bed 2200mm long! Order your crowns in advance and plant asap and drop them in a bucket of water while you are planting.

I would advise against salting for first few years. I was told only established beds.

Best of luck- let me know how you are getting on.

[The Sage of Brouhaha]

Brilliant. Thanks for the advice. Unfortunately the bed is already built, so it can't be extended to 2.2m, but I've just remembered the one I've set aside for asparagus is 135cm wide, so I'll definitely go for three rows.
I'll post a picture once they're going and try to remember to let you know how they taste in 2009!!

[Paulottie]

I'm sure you Mum said 'don't speak with your mouth full!'...or 'Don't get butter on the keyboard?'

[chickenjane]

the only thing I'd add is to ask what your soil is like.
If it's v light I wouldn't fill the raised bed up, but aim to have the crowns just below normal soil height & the raised bed 1/2 full.
the raising of the soil level is really only to assist drainage with heavy soil.Ditto the idea of planting the crowns on a mound with the centres higher than the root tips.
If you have the soil too dry the crowns won't fatten up,yeilds will be reduced & you'll end up havingto water it during the summer.Having a dedicated bed & keeping it weed free is enough of a chore with out havngto water as well.

[Paulottie]

Spot on Jane.

I saw and squished first Asparagus beetles tonight. Guess what? the little beggars were at it..well they died happy.

[chickenjane]

Oh the little b***ers.
did you manage to get them before they did any damage?
I abandoned my asparagus bed at our old house when the beetles seemed to be able to eat or deform every spear before i got to it.
Buy it down the road at the farm shop these days I'm ashamed to admit.But as it's grown in next villagethe food miles are few.

maybe in a few years when the brand new Veg plot is fully operational I'll reconsider.
I'm only just managing to dig & seive the beds fast enough to fill at present.(Oh I know I should give the soil time to settle but I didn't decide to re-start growing veg til march, & it'staken since then for the grass to die off0