Dead asparagus?

[RedClayGardener]

Hmm I think I need to replant mine now. I definitely crowded mine but I thought that maybe I make it work. I will dig them up before they start up.

 

[Reinbeau]

It can be done, but now make absolutely certain those roots don't dry out at all while you're transplanting them. They've no doubt started to grow, root hairs will be forming, you want to preserve them as much as possible so you don't set them back hard.

 

[smom1976]

Smom1976 maybe you can dig them up carefully and move them into a new bed, it will be worth it in the end if its more successful for you.
It would be a bummer to lose all the asparagus crowns you already planted.
Although it sounds like people are saying it still may work out for you.
How many did you plant by the way? You are saying the bed is 8 feet long right?

I planted 2 packages.. I believe 6 crowns per package.. except my 9 year old son was handing them to me and on the last one handed me two crowns together and I had already planted it .. oh well.. so a total of 12 crowns.. I planted them about 6 inches apart each crown..

it is a foot wide maybe a bit more.. the pic is at a crazy angle..

 

[simple life]

Thats pretty close together for asparagus. If I were you I would carefully dig them up and replant them in a long trench, do you have some space to go another say at least 16 feet or so.
Asparagus needs to be planted at least 12 inches apart from eachother.
12 plants in an 8 foot space are not going to do well, they will not have the space they need.

 

[smom1976]

this area has two of those greenish colored boards end to end the asparagus stops at the first 8 foot area.. I can go all the way down to the other end of the board..

how far apart should I space them?

 

[simple life]

Its usually between 12-18 inches apart from eachother, 12 inches would be the minimum recommended.
Asparagus gets fairly tall (around 5 feet) and the ferns spread outs some so anything less than 12 inches is going to be crowded.
If you have another 8 feet ( I think that is what you are saying about that board length) then that should be okay.
It would give you a total of 16 feet for 12 crowns, I had thought you had more than 12 crowns before when I said you needed another 16 feet.
I figure, you just need to use what you have to work with right?
Whatever you have left for space whether its 8 feet or even less, then I would just try to make it work.
I don't know what size family you have but 12 plants is only good for a couple of people so you don't want to have to plant any less than that, so just try to space them as evenly as possible in the amount of space you have to work with .
Don't let this asparagus thing bother you too much, your chances of success are only going to go up by spreading them out so no matter what its an improvement.

 

[jlmann]

I didn't see anyone else mention it so I'll bring it up. Be sure to put asparagus crowns somewhere permanent!!!! They will produce for 20+ years. My grandmother has 1 crown she planted in the sixties - it is now probably around 4'x4' and looks like some kind of bamboo in late summer. Yummy though!

 

[simple life]

Yup, it was mentioned a couple of times. Thats why we are advising her to redo the bed now because its permanent.

 

[jlmann]

Oh sorry! I was just trying to be helpful. I just joined yesterday and man this forum is a ghost town compared to BYC. I posted over there that some of us that talk about gardening should come over here........ Anyway we've been grilling asparagus lately it is wonderful.

 

[simple life]

This forum picks up alot during the planting season but it dies down considerably over the winter.
Alot of us like that it doesn't get crazy like it does over on BYC.
Its much easier that way, you can follow people's progress and stay on top of an issue that is being solved.