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It could be due to the longer season here, but we have been eating asparagus from seed (sparingly at first) from around three years from seed. But the plants go on growing into October/November. Always leave them in growth as long as possible before cutting down if it is a mild season as otherwise you are losing some of the 'gain' they are making. Cut down at the first frosts.
The hybrid seed tends to be male only types, I believe. I have noticed no difference in any of the plants compared to evident male and female types with the Martha Washington types and other open pollinated or self sown types.
We always stop harvesting at the beginning of June here, though the crop starts a bit earlier, late April, early May. The trouble with asparagus is that the spears don't all come up at the same time, so if you want a proper asparagus meal for two people, six plants won't be anything like enough (though I guess you could pick the spears over several days and keep the earlier ones in water to build up enough).
We have around twenty plants, I guess, and on a good day that gives us a small bunch for two to have plenty in one meal. If you can cram a few more plants in corners, then it will help. Asparagus grows easily and we find plants self seeded everywhere here (birds must take the seeds) including on the side of the earth dam next to our home, and even in a gravel path next to the house! Of course, these won't provide wonderful spears for eating, but if you feed the plants well wherever they grow they should succeed.
All this 'trench' business and spreading roots out over little mounds is really unnecessary, especially when putting in small plants from seed. Just plant them deeply straight from the pots. The key things are to TOTALLY eliminate all perennial weeds, especially things like bindweed, before planting, and dig lots of well rotted manure or compost into the bed before too, as you won't be able to do so afterwards.
But we plant on the flat, and just put on a thick layer of mulch in the autumn after cutting them down. I used wood chips/shreddings this year on the established bed, and the asparagus came up beautifully through it, and was easy to cut. Obviously a mulch which will provide feed, such as good garden compost, will work better in the long term, but watch for too many weed seeds.
The French round here draw up mounds of earth over the rows in early spring, almost like potato rows, and then cover the whole thing with black polythene. But that means they get pure white spears, which in my view are totally tasteless and often turn bitter if stored for more than a day or two.
Green or violet asparagus has a far better, sweeter flavour, though it might mean you need to pee rather more after a large helping. Though I'm not even sure about that.
The hybrid seed tends to be male only types, I believe. I have noticed no difference in any of the plants compared to evident male and female types with the Martha Washington types and other open pollinated or self sown types.
We always stop harvesting at the beginning of June here, though the crop starts a bit earlier, late April, early May. The trouble with asparagus is that the spears don't all come up at the same time, so if you want a proper asparagus meal for two people, six plants won't be anything like enough (though I guess you could pick the spears over several days and keep the earlier ones in water to build up enough).
We have around twenty plants, I guess, and on a good day that gives us a small bunch for two to have plenty in one meal. If you can cram a few more plants in corners, then it will help. Asparagus grows easily and we find plants self seeded everywhere here (birds must take the seeds) including on the side of the earth dam next to our home, and even in a gravel path next to the house! Of course, these won't provide wonderful spears for eating, but if you feed the plants well wherever they grow they should succeed.
All this 'trench' business and spreading roots out over little mounds is really unnecessary, especially when putting in small plants from seed. Just plant them deeply straight from the pots. The key things are to TOTALLY eliminate all perennial weeds, especially things like bindweed, before planting, and dig lots of well rotted manure or compost into the bed before too, as you won't be able to do so afterwards.
But we plant on the flat, and just put on a thick layer of mulch in the autumn after cutting them down. I used wood chips/shreddings this year on the established bed, and the asparagus came up beautifully through it, and was easy to cut. Obviously a mulch which will provide feed, such as good garden compost, will work better in the long term, but watch for too many weed seeds.
The French round here draw up mounds of earth over the rows in early spring, almost like potato rows, and then cover the whole thing with black polythene. But that means they get pure white spears, which in my view are totally tasteless and often turn bitter if stored for more than a day or two.
Green or violet asparagus has a far better, sweeter flavour, though it might mean you need to pee rather more after a large helping. Though I'm not even sure about that.
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