Topic: Asparagus Bed

[green lily]

I planted an asparagus bed 3 years ago. Its a raised bed and its had muck and compost.Asparagus is a sea side plant and likes seaweed but mine makes do with seaweed meal. I had 10 crowns glinjim I think and have eaten masses this year and expect more next. Weeding and a clean bed are essential and I leave the fern as long as possible before cutting back. I'll also  probably throw some chicken pellets on it at some point. Biggest prob is bl##dy cats who like asparagus beds as litters trays.. You have been warned! ::)

[artichoke]

My current bed is 10 Backlim ("Late season, heavy yield with thick, good quality, smooth spears") and 10 Gijnlim ("Dutch bred. Early season, high yield, medium thick spears.Excellent quality. Good Botrytis resistance") and I have excellent results. All of them are male plants.

I have grown asparagus for about 40 years, various varieties in different gardens, also tried them from seed, and in my opinion these are the best. I was influenced by an RHS trial reported in their journal in October 2001, when these two cultivars won the "yield and quality test".

As they say: "A taste evaluation was also carried out, but this unfortunately produced no conclusive results". And: "It was recommended that gardeners choose Backlim".

At the time they cost about £1 per crown, so I don't think you "save a fortune" by sowing seeds. They last for decades, the crowns getting ever bigger and more productive. I have had to move my pathways, because digging out dandelions from the original paths damaged their spreading roots. Looking online, I see one year male crowns sold in a bundle of 10 for, eg, £12.95 Another site has 15 for £40, which is admittedly more extortionate.

Also the spears now pop up some distance from the original centre of the crowns; I don't exactly know how to imagine these crowns underground, but the centre, from which the spears spring, must fatten up a lot more than I thought.

Therefore I strongly recommend buying named cultivars from a reliable nursery for a bed which is going to be amazingly productive (or possibly not) for the rest of your lifetime.

I would no longer sow seeds, wait for three years, then discover that the spears were woefully small and non-succulent.

[zigzig]

By all means go ahead and try it.

I know full well you wont take advice because you never do.

The preparation, to do it properly costs a fortune (fine for a commercial grower who gets a huge area to cover so can buy at a bulk price).

The upkeep is horrendous because it needs intense weeding

AND cropping, you get those little growths daily. Leave them and they go over.

A small aspagus bed is not worth the trouble.

[betula]

By all means go ahead and try it.

I know full well you wont take advice because you never do.

The preparation, to do it properly costs a fortune (fine for a commercial grower who gets a huge area to cover so can buy at a bulk price).

The upkeep is horrendous because it needs intense weeding

AND cropping, you get those little growths daily. Leave them and they go over.

A small aspagus bed is not worth the trouble



Who said I never take advice?????????????????


You are not  my Mother in disguise are you LOL??? ;D

[grawrc]

The preparation, to do it properly costs a fortune (fine for a commercial grower who gets a huge area to cover so can buy at a bulk price).
Manure costs me £27 a tonne. Only a small part of that goes for the asparagus bed (4m x 1.4m).

The upkeep is horrendous because it needs intense weeding
Maintenance is, at most, half an hour a month. Actually I would say it is the most low-maintenance thing on my plot.

AND cropping, you get those little growths daily. Leave them and they go over.
I have 12 asparagus plants. In season I can eat asparagus every day if I choose. At that time of year I am at my plot at least every second day anyway.

A small aspagus bed is not worth the trouble.

Totally disagree.

[brown thumb]

reading this thread with interest as planning on a asparagus bed( in my new plot)how many plants would i need for one person plus itcy  bitcy few to give my grown kids now and again ;) and what area would they take up i know  April is planting time

[green lily]

Well I have a 'small' asparagus bed with 11 crowns and it is 4 years old. Glinjim I believe. This year we had more spears than we could manage. I fixed the bed on my own. Manured and compost. I'm now 72 and have spine problems but I also enjoy my plot. I read up about it and have to say if I can do it and maintain such a bed then anyone can. Go for it, but do get it clean before you plant.
 My only gripe is the local cats are incline to use it as a litter tray >:( so I keep it netted over winter..

[artichoke]

Well, I still think 20 good quality named crowns is reasonable. I eat a lot (my husband does not like it) and I have plenty to give away.

I can't think why "zigzig" is so against the plant. It is troublefree, productive, and once the ferns grow after the mystic date of 21st June (when you have to stop cutting) they outgrow any weeds.

You have to get on top of the asparagus beetle, not difficult. You have to weed and fertilise on a regular basis, like anything else. They don't need netting. Pointless watering, as they have deep roots.

What's to dislike?

Until the season finished, I enjoyed contributing this to several parties: very fresh asparagus tips lightly boiled, wrapped in thinly sliced smoked ham, sitting on cream cheese on top of home made brown bread. Fantastic.

[betula]

Really looking forward to getting going with these,maybe us Asparagus newbies should compare notes on our results.

I understand now how important the preparation of the bed is for good results.

Thanks for all your contributions,please keep them coming  ;D

[goodlife]

...and...while your plants are stil young and establishing..there is ample room to grow salad stuff in between..that way you get maximum use of the space and hopefully you avoid new weed setting on too.. ;)
...or..how about few strawberry plants..those can then come out once the asparagus it starting grow bigger. Alpine ones would not be too big for the job..

[brown thumb]

what is the planting distance between plants and i have some wild strawberry plants i could interplant with i will have watch for the visiting cat and where it does its dutys  another quick question is wild strawberrys the same as alpine

[goodlife]

I plant mine good 2ft between the plants... last lot of mine was planted bit closer spacing and within few years they were grown together.
As for the wild strawberries..well..generally yes..alpine strawberries are form of wild ones..they are clump forming plants and don't produce runners..
Native wild strawberries (field strawberry)do produce runners and they are generally much more smaller plants.
But I think most of us think wild strawberrys as any small fruited ones..

[gwynnethmary]

Out of the 6 Wilkinson's crowns I planted in the spring only 2 have shown any sign of life. Can I assume that the other 4 are not going to do anything at all, and would it be safe to dig up the two that have and move them out temporarily whilst I do better bed preparation for the next lot I try?  The 6 I planted the previous year are all OK.  They only had 1 spear each, which I left alone, but just this week have all started sprouting more.  Next Spring, when hopefully they start to come up again, I shall cut the first spears from each plant, then leave any more that come up later on.  Is that correct please?

[brown thumb]

thanks for clearing that up dont think i will plant the native ones as they do throw runners i will see if i find plants or seeds for alpines   time to ring my son hes shop floor manager of the local wye vale ;)which comes in handy

[goodlife]

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Can I assume that the other 4 are not going to do anything at all  :-\ Hmm..they should have shown signs of growth now..I would think them as gone.
As it is so dry now and and plants are under stress enough as it is..I would leave the 2 successful ones alone for now. Once the top growth is died down for the winter (late autumn)..then lift the crowns.
But..if you are going to move them..then I would not cut any spear next year yet...those 2 are like 'new' plants then..and need to estabish themselves into new position again.
As for others..if the spears look strong and thick enough for eating..yes, for next years harvest..but any on thin side, and if there is more than odd one, leave them be and ideally then I would leave the crown alone for another year.
Don't forget to give 'spring dressing' of general purpose fertilizer..like chicken pellets, before the growth start..that way your plants have energy to put good growth on.
For first harvest..yes,..just cut few and see how the plants perform..if they happen to push load of harvestable spears..do cut more than just few...but always leave odd one to develop to proper plant...that way you don't over do it and and you get better reward following years... ;)

[goodlife]

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i will see if i find plants or seeds for alpines If you struggle..let me know..I can harvest some seeds from mine... ;) 

[brown thumb]

thanks for the offer i might take you up on it if my son  does not come up trumps   ta