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Hey ive just planted 10 Asparagus Gijnlim crowns, after 2 years how many spears (on average) should i be able to harvest off each crown?
Cheers John
Cheers John
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Hello John,
Is this their third year in the ground from 1 yr old crowns? (in other words they will be four on their birthday in April)
If so, and you feel they were growing well last year...You should be able to harvest for 4-6 weeks...around the 21st of May....cut everything including sprues. it stimulates production....it is not so much how many but the amount of spears but the time you allow for recovery.
In years after that till midsummers day...but you can usually tell when they've had enough as they start to fern almost as soon as they are up.
If this is only their third birthday this year, and you really just can't wait...(best not) but literally one or two. -
Hey Paul, sorry i should of been clearer with my question. The crowns are one year old, i was just wondering how many spears each one would produce when they are three years old and in the cropping period.Comment
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A mature male plant will probably yield about 20ish spears a year....so perhaps a dozen or so in year three. Treat em generously and they will reward you even better.
Not an exact science though...I have some plants that are more productive than others...in the gilnlym bed consistently the best and earliest is a female...so don't believe everything you read eh!Comment
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My asparagus bed has not been well looked after in the past (hangs head in shame) - so the plants have been in for a good few years and are still weedy. I can't in all conscience pick more than a couple of spears off them until they get a bit more robust. This winter I may well have lost a couple more plants but we'll just have to wait and see. I have weeded them well recently and given them a top dressing of something I hope they will enjoy - a compost and manure blend. They have also had more regular watering since I got a bit more organised last year!
To cut a long story short - it all depends on how well you grow them!!!Whooops - now what are the dogs getting up to?Comment
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I got 10 crowns planted last week in a well prepared bed when the weather was reasonable. Covered it over with fleece when the weather turned cold so I'm keeping fingers crossed. You really have to have faith in the future if you plant an asparagus bed. I only hope I can last as long as the asparagus
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Oh Jeanied...we can save it.....no guilt but a new regime of love!
Weeds are the first target: Get some rock salt and apply to your bed at about an oz per square yard...slugs hate it too. Once they are in fern then hand weed what you can. Also if you have any females...make sure there are not little seedlings everywhere to overcrowd bed.
Secondly the beetles...seek and destroy eggs, grubs and beetles. Technique for the adults is to put hand underneath or newspaper below to catch them.
Don't worry, but I normally add the muck in Autumn...keeps them cozy for winter. Mulching at this time can encourage slug damage. You can also mulch any annual weed once they are in full fern. Seaweed makes a good mulch too.
Bindweed...get a hand spray with some glyphosate, some sandwich bags, and laccy bands stuff a cane in to train up the bind weed then stuff top growth in bag spray and pop on elastic band.
Sow seeds...(PM me if you have none) ...grow on in 4" pots this year....mark any gaps in your bed for replacement next spring/summer....or transplant any self sown ones....if your feeling rich/impatient you could get a few crowns instead.
You can do it...it's worth it.Comment
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