how many asparagus plants?

[janeyo]

I have just read somewhere that a family of 5 needs 100 plants to feed them!
How many do you have?
I have 8 and am really hoping this will give us enough (when they start to be cropped). NOt really got enough space for any more. Tried growing them in with the flower beds but that didn't work very well.

Will 8 be enough for a family of 4?

[broadway]

Hi Janeyo,

Not sure if that's enough but I to suffer from lack of space therefore will only be growing 6 plants in a metre by metre and a half bed, not sure if this is enough room? How much space do you have for your 8 plants?

[Nicos]

We used to have 20 plants for a family of 4
Started off with 10 but there never seemed enough each day- or alternate days.
Have to say that by the 21st June ( last day for picking) I was ready for a break and to move on to something else! ( for a few days anyway!)

[janeyo]

ok, so I just have to hope the children don't like them! (They don't like most vegetables at the mo), so am sure they won't like this one either.

I might be able to squeeze in another couple. Off to have a look.

Thanks.

[bobleponge]

I have 4, and have just put in another 8 before I came away. For a family of 1 and a dog who doesnt eat veg I'm hoping that should be enough.

[solway cropper]

I prepared a bed 2 yards by 1 yard last week and ordered 10 crowns from T&M. Just hope that's enough but I think 100 is a little over the top.

[janeyo]

That's what I thought too... the same site claimed that for a large family you needed 250 plants! I think it must have been American, and think they must eat nothing but asparagus.

I now have 12 in the bed and 3 in large pots to chance my arm.

[Dave & Kate N Wales]

Hubby read somewhere that 1 plant would give enough asparagus for 1 person to have 2-3 meals a week. We planted ours from seed last year so got another year before we get anything off them

[Jeanied]

Well, my asparagus bed had 5 plants and that was nowhere near enough for one. But I blame the gardener (moi-meme) for not giving them enough tlc.

[Pumpkin Becki]

I've only got 3 crowns...for two of us...I think I've severely underestimated!!

[elsie-scot]

I have 4, and have just put in another 8 before I came away. For a family of 1 and a dog who doesnt eat veg I'm hoping that should be enough.

Are you sure your dog doesn't eat veg? Our two love veg, not tried them on asparagus, to expensive.

[Welsh Wizard]

Personally, I think 100 crowns sounds about right if you want to guarantee enough asparagus for a five person meal regularly. The poor plants need to be given a chance to recover following cropping, and there will be poor years as well as gluts.
Buying crowns is expensive: I grew 50 crowns myself last year from seed to start a bed off with relative ease. 3 quid on ebay will give enough seed to propagate 100 crowns easily, though you may wish to sex the plants if you are desperate to get an all one-sex bed. Personally seemed like too much fuss, so I have mixed male and females which seems more natural!

[WeeGarden]

Gosh, I bought 3 crowns last year thinking that it'd be enough for the two of us! I'm not looking for asparagus a few times a week. Once a week will be enough, or even just a few spears enough for a stirfry along with other veg.

Have bought another 3 crowns this year though!

[Glutton4...]

My Dad's Asparagus bed has about twenty plants in. There are four Asparagus lovers here and it is nowhere near enough!

[Paulottie]

I have about 6 in a 10 yo bed, 50 in 7yo bed, 18 in a 3 YO bed and 12 2yo in pots looking for a home and will aim to sow enough for a dozen this year......so will have made the sparrow's grass ton up club this year....but then I have a couple of allotments and a garden and I'm a real enthusiast.

I have a family of 4, the kids love it, so do my friends, guests and neighbours...I pay for a lot of favours with it.

Really though I'd guess at about 2 doz is a viable family bed...for which you'll need a bed 4ft x 12ft.

The reason for all male beds you eventually discover is not so much yield but seedlings everywhere....you don't want an overcrowded bed...though not letting them seed everywhere is possible if you are on the case.