Topic: Asparagus

[Hector]

At the risk of sounding dense...when you folks plant Asparagus how big does it get. I know in books it says can get to 120cm tall but in videos you see folks harvesting wee stems and there isn't a lot of other growth.

I'm wondering if I have booked by growing this beside my greenhouse/will it become a light blocker as it matures.

[penedesenca]

As long as the asparagus gets plenty of light you should be fine. The wee spears that are picked if left grow to 1.2m ferny fronds towards the end of the season 

[Hector]

So, as long as I harvest they won't prevent my greenhouse plants getting light? If so, whew!!!

Thank you

[penedesenca]

The first couple of years you should not pick/ limit what you pick so they can establish. After that you should stop cutting them end of June so the plants can grow the rest of the season to replenish themselves (not sure how to word it, but by growing properly and being left to die down for winter they will recoup)

[Hector]

Thank you...I've not picked but plants were ferry/ small and not a light barrier for nearby greenhouse. Got worried when read could get to four foot...as thought that could shade my greenhouse plants

[Redalder]

Give this link a try, mine is growing about 4ft from the greenhouse without any trouble - by the time it is ready to go for it and you need to stop cutting most of the greenhouse stuff is quite tall or being harvested.


http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/basics/techniques/growfruitandveg_growingasparagus1.shtml

[thexman]

Once the plants fern up, they will need supporting, otherwise they will flop over and snap off. If that happens, the crowns won't get the goodness they need. During this process, new spears will continue to emerge, but less often; when they do, just let them join in with the race-to-the-sun that the other ferns are engaged in.

Asparagus, while a pain to prepare beds for and a plant you have to wait about three years before you get a decent crop from, is well worth everything, because when they begin to crop seriously, you will get sick of eating them

[Uncle_Filthster]

I just recently built my first asparagus bed, hopefully it will flourish this far north.  I checked it this afternoon and a couple of spears were just starting to poke through.  Well excited! 

[squeezyjohn]

1.2m is small!  I've seen neighbouring allotments with established beds where the ferns get taller than me - about 2m!

[ACE]

I'm getting worried now. My bed was started last summer with plants grown from seed. I had little fronds all summer and most of the warm winter, then they died back into the soil. I now read that somebody has spotted some growth, I have nothing and as I planted about 100 of them I though if others are seeing growth why not me. Raised bed, with at least 15 inches of well rotted underneath and an expectation of at least 60% surviving the first 3 years up to the first pickings, but not a hint of green showing. Am I worrying too much.

[Hector]

No sign of mine either, Ace. Maybe they are shy.

[Plot22]

Hector

I have a large Asparagus bed approximately 3metres by 6 metres which I set in 2007. It is very prolific I can cut 80 plus spears a week at the height of the season. The answer to your question is YES it will block your light out dependant on the size and proximatey of the bed Once you have done cropping you have to let the remaining spears grow into ferns which can grow up to 2 metres in height. As mentioned you need to support these ferns or else the wind will snap them off. I use canes and orange barrier netting. This also prevents the cat leaving his rats in the middle of the bed.
Another problem is the roots of the plants travel deep and quite some distance from the tubers so they will almost certainly go under your greenhouse. A problem if you have a soil bed in the greenhouse. I am particularly careful what I plant anywhere near the bed as carrots potatoes, parsnips or any root crops are a no go. I usually can get away with onions or salad crops or French beans.
The tubers will not produce spears until the temperature is consistently above 10 degrees. If you get a cold snap they will stop producing until it warms up again.
I do not want to sound negative in my advice as the crop itself takes some beating as may of my friends and relatives can vouch. My last point is when I have cut the ferns down in November I cover the bed with farmyard manure and you must water religiously during the cropping season or else it will affect the crop quality and quantity.

[Hector]

Plot22, thanks that's really helpful. I'll relocate them. I'd rather get it sorted and wait a bit longer for those lovely spears :)

[Hector]

Well, relocation won't be an issue. Checked and all 60 of mine had drowned despite loads of gravel etc. So relocating to a new raised site.

Ace , hope you are more fortunate :)

[Uncle_Filthster]

Of the two spears I said were emerging, one has disappeared, the other has grown very slowly about an inch. Obviously still too cold for them up here yet as there's no sign of anything else but weed seedlings

[artichoke]

I have been belatedly weeding my 12 yr old bed, and accidntally sliced off 2 or three underground spear tips. Only one is now showing above ground, and it is purple-ish and barely moving. The nights are still too cold for serious growth, though I have had earlier pickings in warmer years by now.

[ACE]

Well, relocation won't be an issue. Checked and all 60 of mine had drowned despite loads of gravel etc. So relocating to a new raised site.

Ace , hope you are more fortunate :)

I'll wait a bit longer but still no show, drowning should not have been a problem as they were in a new raised bed that was layered with stones before it was filled. But with the wet winter we have had I will not rule it out. With a hundred plants I would expect something to survive.

[ACE]

It's playing peek-a-boo this morning, but we have had some nice warm sunny days in between the squalls.

[Tee Gee]

This fern was around 5ft (1.5m) when I took the picture.



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