nightshade
Garden Ornament
okay how do I start an asparagus patch? should it be by seed or little expensive plants? should I add anything to the soil where I want to grow it, composted manure, sand ect.?
asparagus ?
- Thread starter nightshade
- Start date
dickiebird
Garden Addicted
I don't know what you mean by"expensive little plants" as I have never seen asp. plants. I have used the asp crowns and started some by seed. My planting has shown that the crowns will get you alot further ahead in the game than the seeds.
What I've read is that you should be able to use asp. the 2nd year it's planted. This has not been the fact with mine.
Every one says it's easy to grow and that is a fact, but mine hasn't been edible yet.
THANX RICH
What I've read is that you should be able to use asp. the 2nd year it's planted. This has not been the fact with mine.
Every one says it's easy to grow and that is a fact, but mine hasn't been edible yet.
THANX RICH
NurseNettie
Garden Ornament
You want a well dug spot, that you can easily keep weeds out of ( raised beds are good, even if only slightly, to keep the grass from creeping in). LOTS of organic material. LOTS! They like very deep soil-- so dig and loosen deeply before planting.
I've never seen plants for sale, only crowns ( roots) that are often ok to start cutting in 2 years, but 3 is better. If you start from seed, maybe another year beyond that. Whether you plant seeds or crowns, allow the plants to grow all season, die from frost, then cut back to soil level, mulch, repeat again the next year.
You can begin harvesting when the stalks are pencil width or bigger (which takes a couple years), cut them just at the soil line with a sharp knife, harvest new spears daily, and stop harvesting after 6 to 8 weeks. Allow the rest of the growing spears to grow to big, ferny plants, allow them to die after the frost, then you cut them to soil level,mulch and leave til next spring.
Patience, patience, patience when starting a new patch! Plan ahead-- it'll be there for 15 to 20 years or more-, so make sure it's in a workable space where you don't have future plans for. Patience!! Don't start cutting one year because you can't wait to try them, it'll have an effect on the hardiness of the patch overall.
We moved here just over 2 years ago and have an established patch, so we're lucky!! The unlucky part is it's in a BAD spot, in the middle of the grass, was all overgrown with weeds, and is going to be hard to sort out. I hope to move the crowns to a new bed, if not this fall, then next. I've also started plants from seed in a pot on my deck that will go into a new, raised bed, as soon as I get it built.
I've never seen plants for sale, only crowns ( roots) that are often ok to start cutting in 2 years, but 3 is better. If you start from seed, maybe another year beyond that. Whether you plant seeds or crowns, allow the plants to grow all season, die from frost, then cut back to soil level, mulch, repeat again the next year.
You can begin harvesting when the stalks are pencil width or bigger (which takes a couple years), cut them just at the soil line with a sharp knife, harvest new spears daily, and stop harvesting after 6 to 8 weeks. Allow the rest of the growing spears to grow to big, ferny plants, allow them to die after the frost, then you cut them to soil level,mulch and leave til next spring.
Patience, patience, patience when starting a new patch! Plan ahead-- it'll be there for 15 to 20 years or more-, so make sure it's in a workable space where you don't have future plans for. Patience!! Don't start cutting one year because you can't wait to try them, it'll have an effect on the hardiness of the patch overall.
We moved here just over 2 years ago and have an established patch, so we're lucky!! The unlucky part is it's in a BAD spot, in the middle of the grass, was all overgrown with weeds, and is going to be hard to sort out. I hope to move the crowns to a new bed, if not this fall, then next. I've also started plants from seed in a pot on my deck that will go into a new, raised bed, as soon as I get it built.
nightshade said:
- Thread starter
- #4
nightshade
Garden Ornament
Thanks a bunch for the advice. I hoped to do the entire garden in raised beds because I have fastly advancing RA. And simply don't know how much longer I will physically be able to get down to work in the garden. So hearing that raised beds is okay for it is a great plus. Thanks again
dragonlaurel
Attractive To Bees
Raised beds are nice for drainage and are supposed to warm up faster than the nearby ground. It's my first year using them.
Family Dollar had some garden tools with extension handles. I got one of the trowels so I wouldn't have to bend so much when transplanting started plants. Works good.
Family Dollar had some garden tools with extension handles. I got one of the trowels so I wouldn't have to bend so much when transplanting started plants. Works good.
NurseNettie
Garden Ornament
From www.ohioline.osu.edu
Dig a furrow no deeper than 5 to 6 inches. Research has shown that the deeper asparagus crowns are planted, the more the total yield is reduced. Apply about 1 lb. of 0-46-0 (triple superphosphate) or 2 lbs. of 0-20-0 (superphosphate) fertilizer per 50 feet of row in the bottom of the furrow before planting. This will make phosphorus immediately available to the crowns. Omitting this procedure will result in decreased yields and the spear production will not be as vigorous.
Toss the crowns into the furrow on top of the fertilizer. The fertilizer will not burn the crowns, and the plants will grow regardless of how they land so don't bother to spread the roots. Space the crowns 1-1/2 feet apart in the row. If more than one row is planted, space the rows five feet apart from center to center. Wide between-row spacing is necessary because the vigorously growing fern will fill in the space quickly. Wide spacing also promotes rapid drying of the fern to help prevent the onset of fungus diseases.
Dig a furrow no deeper than 5 to 6 inches. Research has shown that the deeper asparagus crowns are planted, the more the total yield is reduced. Apply about 1 lb. of 0-46-0 (triple superphosphate) or 2 lbs. of 0-20-0 (superphosphate) fertilizer per 50 feet of row in the bottom of the furrow before planting. This will make phosphorus immediately available to the crowns. Omitting this procedure will result in decreased yields and the spear production will not be as vigorous.
Toss the crowns into the furrow on top of the fertilizer. The fertilizer will not burn the crowns, and the plants will grow regardless of how they land so don't bother to spread the roots. Space the crowns 1-1/2 feet apart in the row. If more than one row is planted, space the rows five feet apart from center to center. Wide between-row spacing is necessary because the vigorously growing fern will fill in the space quickly. Wide spacing also promotes rapid drying of the fern to help prevent the onset of fungus diseases.
T.J. said:
