Asparagus bed query

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I've got 10 asparagus crowns that I am wanting to plant this weekend but I'm not entirely sure how to go about setting up the bed. Everything I've read says that you need to get all of the weeds out so I've excavated down 12" and am intending on sieving the soil back in minus roots. Should I line it with weed suppressing fabric? Its a reclaimed plot and this section hasn't been dug over before so there are a lot of bramble and nettle roots that go down much further than the 12" I've dug. The crowns need to go in urgently now so any advice would be much appreciated.

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[caroline7758]

We planted some two year old crowns 2 years ago on what sounds like a similar plot to yours (lots of brambles). We didn't dig as deep as you, and the weeds have come back with a vengeance and are hard to get out from round the plants, but we're still picking plenty of asparagus. Having said that, I was thinking I might put some weed supressant down next winter. Bob Flowerdew suggests burning off the weeds with a blowtorch while the asparagus are dormant.

[grotbag]

hi, i would put a good layer of manure down,then some more soil so your trench is bout 8" deep.spread plants out cover with soil.Water it well and when the plants grow keep cvering them with soil till you get to ground level,any weeds etc pull out as you go.Then its a long wait till you start eating them.goodluck