Preparing a new asparagus bed

[ourarka]

My old asparagus bed has finally got pretty tired, so intend to dig it up and replant next Spring. I just wondered if there was any advice for soil preparation over the autumn and winter. I'll be weeding, digging, waiting, weeding, digging ........ etc ... but hoped for some help regarding what to add, and when, regarding soil improvement (currently pretty good, but on the clay side) or soil nutrition?

[BertieFox]

I rather think the double digging and eliminating every possible weed option in creating a new asparagus bed is over done.
We have grown asparagus, usually from seed, for many years. We are also on very heavy clay soil and all our French neighbours told us not to bother as we would never succeed! What they meant is we couldn't grow blanched white asparagus which is earthed up, but for green or purple asparagus there is no problem.
Apart from pulling out any perennial weed the moment we spot it, the real solution is lots and lots of mulch applied to the surface of the bed. We have been enjoying nice fat spears of asparagus for several years from seed grown plants (planted out in the second year) and the most important side of maintenance of the bed is heavy mulching with organic matter.

[Deano's "Diggin It"]

I planted out a new bed of Asparagus spring this year, and did a fair bit of research regarding soil preparation, so can only advise on what I found!

Asparagus grows best in an open sunny site, not fussy about soil type as long as it is well drained!
Remove any perennial weed, and incorporate at least one bucket full of organic matter such as garden compost or well rotted farmyard manure per every square yard/metre

I knocked up a mix of 2 parts soil 1 part grit with the relevant amount of rotted manure!

Here's mine!



All the best of luck with it!

[ourarka]

Thanks guys,

Bertie - I certainly won't be overdoing the digging ... just mainly to remove perennial weeds, the old asparagus plants and incorporate some organic material. You emphasise heavy mulching - do you mean in autumn or spring?

Deano - good advice, thanks for the help.

[Four Seasons]

Thanks guys,

Bertie - I certainly won't be overdoing the digging ... just mainly to remove perennial weeds, the old asparagus plants and incorporate some organic material. You emphasise heavy mulching - do you mean in autumn or spring?

Deano - good advice, thanks for the help.

I wonder if you are aware of the task in front of you.
Digging up well established asparagus plants is in my experience probably the hardest and worse gardening task you will have to face. Far more difficult than digging up trees. The asparagus roots spread and tangle and you have to dig an enormous area to get them all out if you want to re plant in the same area. The roots themselves are a nightmare because they are very spongy and very difficult to get a spade to slice through them and using a fork brings it's own problems because the roots are matted and not easy to untangle. Nearly gave me a hernia. Good luck with that.

[BertieFox]

Could you not possibly start your new bed in a different spot? I'd agree with Four Seasons that digging out the old roots would be very hard work, and in any case, the old plants have probably exhausted many of the nutrients in the bed. I know this may be difficult if you are very limited in space.
It's fairly easy to destroy the old bed just by slicing through the plants and growing something else there, and cutting off completely any shoots that still come through, but your new asparagus will do far better in a new location.

[ourarka]

Hmmmmm ... I take your points, and am wondering now if digging out is sensible. Some of the crowns in there are not too old, and I have some space on one side to plant some new crowns in the Spring. In that case, my attention really turns to how to rejuvenate what is already in there. Should I mulch well now? And if so, with what?

[BertieFox]

You should soon cut down the tops if you haven't already done so, and then you can mulch with almost anything you like that will add organic material and nutrients. We used ordinary compost from the compost bin, as well as grass cuttings, leaves and so on. That means that the new spears have a nice fine tilth to grow through in the spring. As they are so deeply rooted, I don't think there is much you can do to improve the soil below ground if it is lacking in something. When you say the crowns are 'not too old', do you mean three or four years or ten years? The roots will go on getting larger over many years so shouldn't need rejuvenating, though you might try a good general organic fertiliser on the surface which would eventually percolate down to feed the plant. Our main bed is ten years old now and still going strong, while the second one I established three years ago (from seed grown plants) is only just getting going. I notice here in France the commercial guys only keep their beds for around ten years and are constantly making new ones.

[BUFFS]

Thanks guys,

Bertie - I certainly won't be overdoing the digging ... just mainly to remove perennial weeds, the old asparagus plants and incorporate some organic material. You emphasise heavy mulching - do you mean in autumn or spring?

Deano - good advice, thanks for the help.

I always put it on in the autumn, the worms then mix it all in for me by spring = maximum effect and no heavy digging required...simples..

[ourarka]

The crowns in there vary - many of them are 10-15+ years old, but we put some new ones in a few years ago so they are still young .... and obviously the ones I put in next Spring will be babies. I think it has been a bit neglected in terms of feeding so my plan, thanks to you guys, is a heavy organic mulch in the coming weeks followed by a feed in early Spring. Then I must just remain more vigilant in terms of weeding, feeding and mulching. Fingers crossed .....