Topic: Another asaparagus question

[Suzanne]

I have a bed of Grolim which is now just cropping nicely. I have space for a second bed on my second allotment and I am thinking of planting Pacific purple as reputed to be nicer. Any advice or thoughts on what i would be best to plant??  :-\

[Jon Munday]

Suzanne
I grow Crimson Purple. It produces high yields of even, purple spears that are sweeter, more tender and richer in antioxidants than green asparagus. It has a very low fibre content meaning that almost the entire spear is free of the tough fibre normally found on the bottom of green varieties. Thick, tasty, purple spears are produced in May and early June. This is a high yielding variety that is super sweet when cooked.
Jon

[Suzanne]

Thanks - sounds really nice.

[Froglegs]

How far apart do you plant them?

[Jon Munday]

Asparagus crowns are usually planted in trenches. Good preparation is important. In particular, remove all weeds before planting, as this is a permanent crop, and weeding will be difficult once growth has developed. Manure or garden compost should be dug into the area before planting.

Plant in trenches 30cm wide and 20cm deep. Make a ridge 10cm high along the centre of the trench. Place the asparagus crowns on the ridge, 30cm apart. Spread the roots evenly and fill in with soil so that the bud tips are just visible. Mulch the crowns with 5cm of well-rotted manure/garden compost. Leave 45cms between double rows and
stagger the plants. Paths between the beds should be 90cm wide. Don't overfeed this plant, as you'll encourage soft fern growth.   
Jon