Asparagus help needed please

[shirlthegirl43]

Please can anyone post a picture of what my asparagus bed should look like having had 6 crowns planted on 25 March? I had four spindly spears but they have disappeared and I am wondering if all has died and I should just dig it out and try something else there instead.

Hope someone has a picture to help me.

[heebiejeebie]

hmmm - mine are spindly and ferny. I'll go take a photo.

[shirlthegirl43]

Bother, guess mine are dead then. Thanks Heebiejeebie

[heebiejeebie]

Here it is - varying from a spear a couple of inches high to an 18" ferny thing. The spear appeared very recently so maybe there's life underground still? I also planted 6 crowns sometime around Easter.

[shirlthegirl43]

Thanks for that heebiejeebie. Definately more activity with yours than with mine. They were a bit ropey looking when I got them - maybe I will try again with crowns from a proper supplier (sorry Wilkinsons but I guess plastic bags in the store isn't the best way to keep the crowns viable). Might have a little rummage under the soil and see if they look totally dead.

[vicpivo]

Hold fire - I made exactly the same mistake this weekend. I planted three crowns mid-march. One is growing fern like - I assumed it was a weed and left it. The second one had not grown coming through. When I dug it up, there were fresh roots sprouting. I had split it slightly with the fork, but I have now put it back and I am praying I haven't killed them. Give it a little longer before taking action.....

[rustylady]

If in doubt leave it and see what happens. Unless you really need the space you can afford to wait a while. Many plants get such a shock when being moved that it takes them a while to recover and put up new shoots.

[Flummery]

It really takes 3 years to get an asparagus bed going. I left my old lottie (moved several miles away) at Year 4 - RATS! Paulottie seems to be an asparagus fan -I expect he'll be along soon to cheer you all up.

[shirlthegirl43]

Thanks folks. Will leave well alone for now then. Worked for my raspberries last year - was tempted to pull them out a few times!

[heebiejeebie]

Mine came from Wilko too and did look a bit sorry for themselves!

[Paulottie]

Hello, I hope I can indeed cheer you up, I woke very early and pottered in the greenhouse, love these long days.

Bad news first: Everything I've read/heard says 'don't let them dry out' which is against you if they have been hanging around in a shop. Throw them in a bucket of water for an hour before planting. Otherwise- planting them too deep was the mistake I made first time round. A 2" covering is enough to start.

Good news: is that they can take a long time so they may come up yet. I've got some seedlings in pots I'll post a photo later. Mmm can't seem to load photos from printer.

I have written a bit on planting sparrows grass in the past -if you scroll back- but, you need to plan and set aside that land for your bed, it is a long term commitment of land. Don't be planting anything else there if it has failed just get bed ready for next year. As a rule the best way to start a bed is to order your crowns in autumn from a supplier, then prepare your bed and pop them in in March/April- as soon as they arrive. Good luck, its such a good thing when you get it going.

I've stopped cutting early this year a we started early. You can sort of tell when they want to run to fern.

[puravida]

I planted my crowns out about the same time and they look like ferns now.
First time I have grown them so wasn;t really sure what to expect. Not even sure that this is normal!!! The smaller plants round the edges are nasturtiums. Never grown before those either!

[shirlthegirl43]

Did all the prep work and soaked the crowns before planting. Covered with seived soil to around 2" and covered with spiny brambles to stop the cat digging. Watered regularly if the soil dried out. Got a small, weak spear on 4 crowns, nothing on 2. Now the spears have vanished and no sign of anything happening. I wasn't sure if that was normal and hence (after reading many threads about asparagus on here) I asked for a picture of what the bed ought to look like.

[puravida]

don't know if it is related or not, but I dug in a load of well rotted compost into t ebed before I put the asparagus crowns in??

[shirlthegirl43]

Bed was manured last year so didn't feel it was needed again this year since nothing grew there last year. Wondering if there is a problem with the bed.