Lessons in Aparagus Growing Required

[CADS]

Hi

I have just taken over my first ever allotment and am working on my plan. The plot hasn't been used for a least to years and is covered in crouch grass, bindweed and brambles. So, for my first year I plan to dig and remove as much roots as I can, then cover with cupboard and grow on raised bed, hopefully this will weaken the weeds over the next couple of years.

I definitely want to go some Asparagus, it is one of those veg I adore but can't afford to buy very often. So, I have a few questions:

1. I have tenatively planned a 6ft x 4ft bed for them, is this big enough for one adult and child? Does it need to be bigger?

2. I plan to buy some 1 year old crowns, how many will fit the 6ft x 4ft bed?

3. How deep does the raised bed need to be considering that it will be sitting on cardboard?

4. What should I use to fill the bed?

5. Have never grown aparagus before so don't know how to plant/ what needs to be done/considered.

Thanks
CADS

PS "I will be posting a lot more questions!! Lots to learn!!"

[binley100]

This is my first year with asparagus so I'm a bit clueless. However one thing I've been told is to try and get rid of all perennial weeds before you plant as the roots of stuff like couch grass grow thru the asparagus roots and are then extra difficult to remove. My asparagus was sown from seed so I'm looking at about three years before I crop.

[snuffer]

Being as you are growing on an allotment space is not a problem so I would, at least, double the length of your aparagus bed.

Plant about 18 inches apart in the row and about 2 foot between rows. That should allow you to plant about 16 crowns in a 12 x 4 bed. Make sure you buy really good quality crowns not the piddling little things you'll find in places like B&Q or Wilko's.

As you'll be topping up the bed every so often in the first year allow for about 9 inches of soil above the crowns. The crowns are first covered with about 3 inches of soil and the bed built up as they grow.

Use a mixture of soil compost and well rotted (not fresh) manure. If drainage might be a problem add some grit and sharp sand to the mix. Asparagus hates being sat with its feet in water. Good drainage is esential. As has already been said, do your best to make sure that the bed starts off weed free. Good preperation really is the key to success.

Although asparagus can be planted in the spring it is more usually planted in the autumn. Speaking only for myself, I would wait until next year to get my crowns and spend this year making sure the bed was as well prepared as I could make it.

Hope that is of some help. HAVE FUN on your plot.

[Two_Sheds]

I plan to dig and remove as much roots as I can, then cover with cupboard

That's a lot of hard winter digging.
If it were me, I'd cover with cardboard and manure now, to block the light and weaken the roots, then dig over when the weather is nice in spring.