Topic: Asparagus ??

[boldielocks]

I've just read, that if I plant my asparagus crowns now, that it will take up to 3 years before I can expect a crop. Is this true.

And how many spears can I expect from an asparagus crown.

[saddad]

Certainly three from seed... I thought two from crowns... I get three or four from each crown before I leave them alone... with two dozen crowns that is getting on for 100 good thick spears!
 8)

[tim]

So many differing opinions.

Read between the lines of -

http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/1000/1603.html

http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/hil/hil-8002.html & the like.

It is said  - somewhere - that you get 1/2 lb from a crown.

[artichoke]

I've never counted how many I get from each crown (planted as bought one year olds five years ago), though I have noticed that some crowns do better than others - but I'm sure that between late April and mid June it is more than three or four. I'm guessing eight each from most of the 20 crowns.

The ones I planted were left alone in the summer of their first year, lightly "sampled" in their second year, lightly harvested their third year, and go berserk now.

[saddad]

I'm still letting mine build up roots as I had to transplant them...
 ::)

[cambourne7]

I have a raised bed under construction for my asparagus.

Its 2ft wide and 10ft long.

When i get 5 min i will dig out a spades dept and back fill with horse muck, its fresh and if i lthis eave it to the elements over winter i should be able to top the raised bed with compost and plant my Asparagus seed In the spring.

found this link helpful.
http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/veggies/asparagus1.html

As this bed is just asparagus i plan to plant marigolds ( will help fight asparagus beetle ) and i might pop some tomatoes as well as its a good companion plant.

Althouth its been sugested that planing comfry (comfry dies back as the asparagus comes to life) would be useful.

Cambourne7