Topic: Asparagus from seed??

[Mimi]

Has anyone ever grown asparagus from seed? I know that it takes 3-4 years from planting to get a good crop, but no one has ever discussed growing it from seed.The variety I am considering is Mary Washington.

[tim]

Yes - didn't you read my bit under Asparagus?? = Tim

[Mimi]

I sure did Tim, however you have only mentioned growing from 'plug plants' i think, not growing from seed.

[tim]

No - it was the time we had waited 2 years after sowing, & were eagerly awaitng the first pick, when our odd-job chap cheerfully said 'oh, by the way, I've cleaned up that bare patch for you, while I had the rotovator.
If you can live through that, you can live through anything??

I looked for the bit, but couldn't find it. Could have been on that 'other site'!  = Tim

[Mimi]

OOooooo Tim  :'(  How did you keep your hands off his throat?  So obviously you had success with growing from seed.I just wanted to know if it was difficult to grow from seed or should I just blow the expense and buy some plug plants.  I am not in any rush to crop the asparagus.

[tim]

I had no trouble raising them - that was in a cold frame - 1" deep in pots. But since you can now buy the plugs at any time, I would do a blinder! They are not cheap, because they are organically grown, whether you want that or not! = Tim

[Mimi]

Cheers Tim, Think that I will give the seeds a go.  £1.50 from ebay seems a lot cheaper than the plugs.  Thanks for the help :-*

[tim]

What discipline! = Tim

[Multiveg]

Mimi - wait!!!! We need to meet up !

Got some plants going spare (can see them going to waste), if you want. Got them from Holland Arms last year and they are in pots.

[Mimi]

OOOOOOOO :o Give me a shout Multi V.Ta muchness :D

[Mrs Ava]

Altho you are now sorted with some asparagus plants, just thought I would mention.........me thinks Ross is growing some from seed...Ross...oi Ross.....is it you growing it??  ;D

[rdak]

yep, certainly am. Sowed 80 seeds in cell inserts- about 40-50 have germinated and about 4 inches tall with feathery foliage. Hardened them off and they now stay outside. Not sure what to do next.. pot them up I suppose?

[Mimi]

Ok Ross spill the beans(or asparagus seeds) when did you sow them? How long do they take to germinate?  Do they need heat or not? Am I too late to put them in now?  Got the seeds from ebay, and they will be arriving any day :-\ fingers crossed.

[derbex]

I sowed 'Connovers Colossal' this year into modules, I think I sowed them in Feb, maybe inside or maybe in a cold greenhouse (don't have the magic book to hand -even if I did I might not have written that detail down). About 80% have come up, and they are now outside ready to be potted up, I was going to put then into the bed -but it's been neglected for a few years so even though I've dug it over I think a year of green manure, or some other cultivation might be good.

I think you'd be ok to sow now -but it might add a year to the waiting time, from what I remember of the book this was the reason for the Feb. sowing.

One more thing, Connovers is not all Male and Males seem to be the favoured plants with Asparagus so you need to grow twice as many and wait until they 'berry' to tell one from the other.

Unless someone knows different

Jeremy :)

[rdak]

Will check when I get home, but think I sowed late Feb (variety: 'Connovers Colossal') . Used a John Innes seed compost and cell insert trays fit 5 x 8 and kept inside.
Lightly covered with compost and they did take ages to geminate- again, will check when I get home.

Jeremy - like you I was planning to only keep the male plants, but have since read somewhere that female plants do produce as many spears, but they don't tend to be as thick. So depending on how many plants I end up with and how much space I have in a year, I may keep them all.

[Mimi]

'Berry interesting' Derbex.  Didnt even know that they came in sexes.  Still, will keep all of them.  Im the sort of gardener who finds a leaf in a shopping trolley and takes it home to propergate it ;D Sad I know

[Multiveg]

...like you I was planning to only keep the male plants, but have since read somewhere that female plants do produce as many spears, but they don't tend to be as thick. So depending on how many plants I end up with and how much space I have in a year, I may keep them all.

I have heard this as well.... just checked Bob's O. Bible -

New hybrids are offered that are all male and do not waste energy producing seed. Otherwise there is very little to choose between varieties, and personally I prefer female plants anyway as they give bigger, thicker, more succulent spears

[derbex]

Glad you came up with the Bob-ism as I half remembered something like that from a Gardners Question time.

Not only that but I think I'll have to plant both as,  when I got home, something had snapped the fronds off about half my plants :(

Jeremy