Broke Down Ranch
Deeply Rooted
This was my first time to plant asparagus and so far I think it has done really well. Except the ferns are getting REALLY long/big so I am wondering if they need support of some sort?
Asparagus
- Thread starter Broke Down Ranch
- Start date
HiDelight
Deeply Rooted
when I grew asparagus I just let the ferns grow and fall over then die when they were done you could neaten them up by supporting them if it bugs you but really it is not needed
bills
Deeply Rooted
My ferns end up falling into my other veggie rows, so I have to support the ones that do that. Lots of red seed appearing on my mature big ferns right now. Seed I planted two years ago have really gone gung ho this year. I may even get a few spears next year.
If you have friends that want to start a bed from scratch, tell them to start some seed indoors this spring, plant them out when it warms a bit, allow them to fern for a few years, and then they can enjoy the bonus too..
They have to be patient,,lol
If you have friends that want to start a bed from scratch, tell them to start some seed indoors this spring, plant them out when it warms a bit, allow them to fern for a few years, and then they can enjoy the bonus too..
They have to be patient,,lol- Thread starter
- #4
Broke Down Ranch
Deeply Rooted
Asparagus goes to seed? Is that what the little flower-looking things are? I have a few ferns with little flower thingies on them....
sparkles2307
Garden Ornament
we dont grow it because it grows in the wild so thickly around here, and none of it is supported and does just fine. It just falls over. I use the dead ferns to look for the young shoots in the summer.
Yeppers. The flowers should turn into red "berries" or seed pods. After these "berries" dry up on the ferns, inside are small black seeds. Very small seeds considering how big the ferns get after a few years.Broke Down Ranch said:
ranchhand
Chillin' In The Garden
I'm confused, but that's nothing new! 
are you talking about asparagus the vegetable or asparagus fern, more of a houseplant?
Sound like both are being discussed.
are you talking about asparagus the vegetable or asparagus fern, more of a houseplant? Sound like both are being discussed.
- Thread starter
- #8
Broke Down Ranch
Deeply Rooted
Well, I was talking about the vegetable.... 
I was talking about the vegetable too.
Not an expert by any stretch of the imagination so any info should be independently verified!
Asparagus plants or either male or female. Both will flower, but only the females will produce seed. The older varieties like the Washington's (the variety I have, Martha I think) are a good example of having a bed with both male and female plants when buying crowns to plant. You have to thin out some of the little weedy volunteers. The newer varieties such as the Jersey's are hybrids and are usually mostly male plants. The male plants produce larger spears over time because they don't expend energy in seed production.
Of course my bed is kind of old, so maybe things have changed over the years.
Not an expert by any stretch of the imagination so any info should be independently verified!
Asparagus plants or either male or female. Both will flower, but only the females will produce seed. The older varieties like the Washington's (the variety I have, Martha I think) are a good example of having a bed with both male and female plants when buying crowns to plant. You have to thin out some of the little weedy volunteers. The newer varieties such as the Jersey's are hybrids and are usually mostly male plants. The male plants produce larger spears over time because they don't expend energy in seed production.
Of course my bed is kind of old, so maybe things have changed over the years.
ranchhand
Chillin' In The Garden
I knew it started with the luscious and lovely veg, but I have never seem them flower! I can't wait, I have some crowns I want/need to plant.
A friend in Austin has grown it for years- maybe he just hasn't noticed? And I'm not there anymore.
A friend in Austin has grown it for years- maybe he just hasn't noticed? And I'm not there anymore.
