Author Topic: Asparagus bed...realistic?  (Read 5255 times)

Hector

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Asparagus bed...realistic?
« on: May 02, 2016, 15:55:10 »
I'd welcome folks opinions. We lost Asparagus planted direct in soil ( not raised bed) last year due to drowning, despite rigorous preparation. Being at bottom of hill is just....wet.

All our crops in raised beds do great with irrigation when dry.

I have a bed that's 3 meter by one meter. It's slightly raised and has a fairly sunny spot.

For a family of four is this too small a bed for this crop. It would be beside my bean bed which is 30 inches from side / edge of the proposed Asparagus bed.


Both beds are SSW facing,
Jackie

Jeannine

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Re: Asparagus bed...realistic?
« Reply #1 on: May 02, 2016, 20:03:16 »
The AVERAGE yield of spears from a mature plant is 6,depending on the variety you may get 1 more or less but that is a good number to figure out how many plants you would need for your own families needs.
When God blesses you with a multitude of seeds double  the blessing by sharing your  seeds with other folks.

Tee Gee

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Re: Asparagus bed...realistic?
« Reply #2 on: May 02, 2016, 20:32:06 »
Being the greedy beggar that I am in so far as getting as much as possible out of my plot I never ever considered growing this stuff.

I could not get my head around dedicating a piece of my plot for twenty years or more for a few spears over a very short harvesting period.

Then there was the case for crop rotation as such a crop could not be considered in the plan.

What. I did consider once was growing it like a structural plant in half barrel tubs,or in a semi- shaded corner of my garden.

I thought that the fern foliage would make  a nice backdrop for some low growing perennials in front of it, and secondly that once in a short period of the year I could have a little something to eat from it.
 
A question from me;

Do many of you grow asparagus and if so do you feel it is a worth while crop to grow?

Go on indulge me with you good,bad or indifferent replies.

Who know when I set up my new regime next year I might consider growing it.....Tg


johhnyco15

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Re: Asparagus bed...realistic?
« Reply #3 on: May 02, 2016, 20:55:15 »
tg that's what i think however I'm toying with the idea of a 3rd plot or at least half of another plot ill find out on sunday as i may have the luxury of more space i may make an asparagus bed myself and on my wish list will be a bigger greenhouse and a large cold frame the plot has not been worked for years it has some keepers grapevine cherries pear and an Oregon thornless blackberry but full of couch and bindweed volunteer  spuds and loads of junk however i love a challenge but a half would be perfect but if they wont split it ill take the whole one on
johhnyc015  may the plot be with you

Melbourne12

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Re: Asparagus bed...realistic?
« Reply #4 on: May 02, 2016, 21:11:29 »
We have an asparagus bed.  It's 1.2m wide and about 3m long.  I reckon that's a good use of allotment space for just the two of us.  We could easily eat the asparagus from a plot twice that size.  So I reckon that 1mx3m would be a bit small for a family of four.

One problem is that as the season starts (about now), you get just a few spears, not enough for a proper bundle, but OK for, say, an asparagus quiche.  But you've got to cut it in order to keep the crop coming.  Then you'll get a few harvests during the main season, then it'll tail off again.  So you're faced with quite a few small bundles which are a bit of a culinary challenge.

Tee Gee

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Re: Asparagus bed...realistic?
« Reply #5 on: May 02, 2016, 21:11:48 »
Your a glutton for punishment Johnny

Perhaps now you that you have more 'soil space' you could use your potato pots to grow asparagus then you can let me know if my idea works.

Just a thought :blob7:

johhnyco15

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Re: Asparagus bed...realistic?
« Reply #6 on: May 02, 2016, 21:23:03 »
Your a glutton for punishment Johnny

Perhaps now you that you have more 'soil space' you could use your potato pots to grow asparagus then you can let me know if my idea works.

Just a thought :blob7:
it would be a lot cheaper than growing potatoes in them lol
johhnyc015  may the plot be with you

Jeannine

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Re: Asparagus bed...realistic?
« Reply #7 on: May 03, 2016, 03:20:37 »
 I no longer grow it, but I did, I had a very large raised bed of it.25 foot x 5 foot , same size as my strawberry bed.Was it worth it, well it is very exciting to see those first few spears poking up when there is little about especially when you can snap one off and eat it raw and compared to the store bought it is a no brainer, but I would have to have a very big area of garden to tempt me again, so the short answer is no,it is not really worth it if  your ground space is limited, but I don't 'alf miss it
When God blesses you with a multitude of seeds double  the blessing by sharing your  seeds with other folks.

Hector

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Re: Asparagus bed...realistic?
« Reply #8 on: May 03, 2016, 21:48:06 »
Thanks all :) My daughter loves Asparagus. So it's basically make more room or buy it...hmm.
Jackie

Plot22

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Re: Asparagus bed...realistic?
« Reply #9 on: May 05, 2016, 20:17:45 »
I have a 3metre X 6metre 7 year old bed with a small path down the middle. Although the cold weather has this year held it up somewhat I went to the allotment this morning to see if Jeannine's average yields were compatible with my bed as I thought they were a bit low. I counted 15 spears coming through on one plant and double figures on several more. Some are still sulking re the cold but almost all have started to come through. We can pick 80 plus a week when the production line gets going and todays weather will help no end.
It is a long term project and yes as Tee Gee says it does interfere with crop rotation but you can work around that.
People often quote that it is a short season crop but so are many fruit crops and peas and broad beans. I picked a dozen or so this morning and I will be picking to late June so it is not really that short a season. If you like Asparagus then go for it you will be the envy of many on your site.

Jeannine

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Re: Asparagus bed...realistic?
« Reply #10 on: May 05, 2016, 20:41:59 »
 The number I said was an average on spears harvested, not spears grown, if you have a high yielding variety you may get more than average but, you cannot harvest them all so the amount you see is not what you would get.
When God blesses you with a multitude of seeds double  the blessing by sharing your  seeds with other folks.

artichoke

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Re: Asparagus bed...realistic?
« Reply #11 on: May 07, 2016, 10:01:52 »
I have two rows of 15 plants each, all male for better production (Gijnlim and Backlim), planted about 12 years ago, and find that is enough for me and my 2 adult children (husband dislikes asparagus) and for giving away to friends. As the season starts, surely the smaller pickings are not a problem? Asparagus does not have to be presented as a plateful on its own, it can be added to whatever vegetable you are eating anyway. It can be added to soups, to omelettes, served on a few pieces of brown bread with cream cheese as a starter, wrapped in bacon and roasted, etc etc. I think it well worth the space it takes up.

It is also well worth paying extra for named male plants. At less than £2 per crown, the cost over the 10 years I have been harvesting them is negligible. Finally, the flavour and texture of just-picked spears is completely different from bought asparagus. I look at the drying/aging bundles in supermarkets and wonder why people bother to buy them.

It has to be admitted, though, that it is quite a challenge to keep the area weed free over the years. One of my rows has been overwhelmed and it is quite a job clearing it out as the spears push through......

Hector

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Re: Asparagus bed...realistic?
« Reply #12 on: May 07, 2016, 10:11:16 »
Thanks Artichoke. That was two of the varieties I was looking at....also the Purple ones, which are meant to be sweeter.
Jackie

 

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