Allotments 4 All
Allotment Stuff => The Basics => Topic started by: steve76 on November 08, 2014, 21:27:39
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Hi all,
So as the subject line says, would you recommend it and whats the best way to it if at all?
My plot neighbour has given up his plot and said i could have them if i like as i have always been envious of his asparagus :tongue3:, i have brought many crowns and never been successful with them :BangHead:
Should add they need moving in the next couple of weeks before the council clear the plot,
Thanks Steve.
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They are getting quite yellow here at the moment just prior to dormancy, so I would get them soon, before you can't see them any more. They will be dormant over winter. This should be a good opportunity to move them. Certainly better than in full production or in full foliage. You just need to have your plot ready. If as you say, the council are going to clear them anyway, you have nothing to lose. Good luck :wave:
Just wanted to add that there comes a time where any asparagus bed loses vigour and production. From memory after about 20 years, but others will know better. So if his bed is really old established, it may not be worth transplanting it for that reason. But if it is going well, you might as well benefit.
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My only experience comes from removing an old asparagus bed that was 20 years old.
It was incredibly hard work. The main root system of each plant was the size of a football and then of course the roots of plants intermingle.
It is unlikely that you will avoid damaging the roots, and I do not know how the plants will subsequently react to that damage.
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If you're not sacrificing another crop in the space you will put them in, give it a go, what have you got to lose? I've successfully moved asparagus, mind you it was 25 years ago, they were only 5 year old crowns, but they are still going strong! If they are known good croppers, then it's worth a try, in my experience they are indestructable.
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Thanks all, i will give it a this week.
:coffee2:
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I take a different view ...
... First off I'm wondering why your crowns failed in case you will have the same issue again. But that apart I personally wouldn't go with transplanting mature crowns, I'd buy new ones in (in my case I grew my own from seed, but that was only because a) I'm cheap :) and b) my bed wasn't ready, so the extra year's wait growing from seed didn't actually cost me any lost time)
You need to make a good bed for Asparagus, the plant is going to be there 20 years. It will need thorough digging to improve drainage and to help get the roots well established in the couple of years before cropping starts, muck incorporating, and unless your soil is well drained each crown will need setting out on a mound of sand.
If they were plants just to be chucked-in and then stood a fair chance I would risk it, but not for the work required in getting the old crowns out, making the bed and planting on sand-mound etc. to ensure a long cropping life for the bed, and the fact that there is then a two year wait for the first crop whilst the roots get established.
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Thanks some good points their kGarden,
Unsure why my other roots failed they were only cheep things!!!! and where i intend to grow now is an old rhubarb bed that always been well manured every year, i dug them out a few weeks ago now as they were not growing aswell the last couple of years so assumed they were finished in there life, they were their before me and the old timers say they have been their a long time..
Either way im going to make this bit of land for asparagus but with your point i think i will buy in decent crowns not from the pound shop or reduced section of the garden centers :tongue3:
Thanks Steve.
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i think i will buy in decent crowns not from the pound shop or reduced section of the garden centers :tongue3:
:happy11:
If I had to do mine again I think I would have more than one variety - an Early and a Late, for example, planted in cropping-order (that only makes sense for MORE than two varieties of course :icon_biggrin:)
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I've failed with asparagus in the past, and I think it was probably down to winter waterlogging. I want to try it again, in a raised bed.
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depends but personally id start again with 2 year old crowns of one of the modern all male varieties
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I found an old plant at an abandoned house site and would get some nice spears each year if I passed at the right time to get some. Then I decided why not have my own plant so the next winter when I was going past again I took a mattock and shovel and dug out a football sized clump and planted in my own garden. As others have said it was a big job to cut down then get in underneath the root ball. If I was to do it again I would take even a larger root ball, especially in depth.
The house site had been abandoned for at least 20 years and the house had been built some 70+ years previous to that so there was no idea of working out how old the asparagus plant was.
The result was I had very nice asparagus spears for the next 15 years until I moved. Now I have Washington and they are even better and bigger than the old variety.
They do like fairly well drained soil. In my dry climate they like water most days during spear harvest but otherwise 2 waterings a week seems to keep them happy. Mine also get a 2-3 inch covering of compost in late winter just before the spears start to show again. I give them worm leachate every 3 weeks right throughout the year.
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We had to move our six crowns out of a raised bed they had been in for four years -after dismantling the bedd we were faced with what can only be described as a four by six by two foot block of knitting! They survived the move but they have sulked, if they dont pick up this year we may have to replace them.
Simon.
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I was reading this thread, noting particularly that many people suggest that moving established asparagus is hard work. I remember reading somewhere that people do sometimes lift and force asparagus crowns under cover to get early spears, I think even in mid winter. This perhaps suggests that moving it is a reasonable thing to do, but does anybody have any experience of forcing it?
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Does forcing involve lifting (as it would with Rhubarb?) or would it be sufficient to just cover with a cloche perhaps?
I've heard of letting Asparagus "leaf up" early, but not taking a crop, and then cutting it down to "force" a late crop, but that too would be in situ
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True forcing involves heat and darkness to get an early extra tender crop. An upturned dustbin with farmland manure piled over it would do the trick. Without the heat its blanching rather than forcing.