Please help.
I've got 10 lovely asparagus crowns that have been sent as 1 yr old, have composted the earth as its quite sandy in patches, and very free-draining and have dug my trench. My questions are:
1. Does the trench need to have a mound on which each of the crowns are sitting higher that the roots and
2. do any of you have any tips at all on growing asparagus? ???
Hoping you can help
Hippychick
Hopefully this will help you ...
http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/joomla/component/option,com_smf/Itemid,57/topic,18339.0 (http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/joomla/component/option,com_smf/Itemid,57/topic,18339.0)
Thanks for that.
Have kept my poor little babies in the pack they were sent in for a week. Am planting them tomorrow with the help of 4 yr old and puppy- wish me luck!
I ordered 10 crowns ages ago and they were supposed to come late march/early April but no sign of them yet.
Can I ask how big your trench is. What are you allowing between crowns?
Thanks
The trech is just over a foot wide and I'm allowing about a foot between each crown. I've got Connovers Colossal so am hoping to need alot of room for all those lovely spears ;D
Trench probably about 12 inches wide and 8 inches deep. Make a sort of inverted v shaped mound approx 3 inches high in the middle. Place crowns on ridge and spread out roots either side. Cover. Then as spears grow keep covering until the soil is back to normal level. If you plant deeper you'll get fewer but thicker shoots.
Have a look at http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/joomla/component/option,com_smf/Itemid,57/topic,17950.0 (http://www.allotments4all.co.uk/joomla/component/option,com_smf/Itemid,57/topic,17950.0) there's some good photos there.
i allow 18 inches between crowns otheres suggest more. See other threads (Curry's suggestion and mine above) for more info.
This is what my asparagus bed looks like (for what it's worth).
Has everyone who ordered asparagus received theirs? Should I chase - I think it was Suttons.
Can't do any harm Amanda.
I ordered from 2 different companies. One's arrived already, still waiting for the other one...
Mine arrived about 2 weeks ago they are Eros 2 year old crowns.
Put them in this weekend, soaked the roots for about 30 mins, dug out trench 12" wide and about 10" deep and in the bottom i put some manure then raked some soil back in to make the mound which i covered in some compost before spreading the roots over it then more compost on top then covered with soil and watered in.
My theory is they are going to be there for a long time so make sure the bed is weed free and they have some 'food' in the bottom.
water them through the summer and around August give them a feed to boost them but dont touch them till the 'ferns' turn yellow then cut back and pop some compost or very well rotted manure over them for the winter :)
I'm still waiting for mine to arrive, from Tuckers.
Thanks for all the help. Am off to plant them right now.
Some of the spears have already begun to shoot so will plant as suggested then cover them up?
We put more in last weekend (now have 30 plants)and sprinkled a mixture of sand and salt (used for gritting) ontop as they are supposed to thrive in salty/sandy soil. Also they like a dressing of seaweed in the autumn.
Any suggestions as to the best place to get seweed from? We live in the Midlands.
well, other than a daytrip to the seaside.... You can buy it in powder form. I think we got ours from Marshalls, although it's not v cheap!
a foot apart might be too close together, they grow enormous roots, like shrubs once they get going. better 2 feet apart if you have the space. Mine are about 18 inches apart, but my new plot at home is going to be asp heaven, pampered to 2-3 feet apart so i can have monsters on my plate hopefully.
Do they prefer a straight row or block - I have 10 on order so wasn't sure whether to do all 10 across the plot in one row or maybe two rows of 5? I have emailed Suttons today to chase - however as rain is forecast for a few days now, I'm not sure I want them turning up!! No pleasing me! ;)
Quote from: Hippychick on April 11, 2006, 11:43:48
Any suggestions as to the best place to get seweed from?
Hastings :) :) :)
We planted some crowns last year- think they were 2 yr old ones. Didn't harvest anythingn & cut down the foliage. What should we be doing with them now? There are just the "sticks" showing above the ground, no new growth.
I think probably add manure on top of the trenches. I believe you're meant to do it in autumn but I would think now is OK too.
I don't think there's ever a bad time to put manure on, but be careful it doesn't rot the shoots as they come through.
I would be inclinde to top dress them with either seaweed granuals or chicken pellets and a top dress with some fresh compost, the spears will be starting to stir under the soil now so try to avoid putting anything to heavy ontop :)
Loads of manure in the winter to keep them warm and happy :)
They haven't been protected at all over the winter- hope they will be ok.
no protection required, the underground parts are as hardy as a hardy thing.
To Amanda21; Personally, I prefer a single row as they have less competition on 2 sides, in blocks, they have more neighbours. However its all down to choice really, if blocks are more convenient, then so be it, as long as they are a good distance from each other they'll be fine.
Remember, there's no art to growing asp afterall they grow wild in the most unhospitable places, i know of a good specimen on a railway enbankment, and another on a rocky cutting next to the M25!
To caroline7758, you dont say what variety, but I would leave to grow this year unless you have really strong growth, and wait for some fat spears in 2007. Yum Yum.
I like asparagus ;D can you tell?
Makes your pee smell though!! ::)
Allegedly ...
and here was me thinking tthat the only good thing about veg was it kept you healthy-i didnt realise there was novelty value too!
i shall look forward even more to my asparagus now! ;)
QuoteMakes your pee smell though
kitty ;D
Can I just report that I have finally managed to get my asparagus crowns planted this afternoon - feeling much relieved - I just hope they grow!
Can I just ask another question. I have put them in a trench and covered with a few inches of soil - I know I just keep covering as they sprout through but how long to I do that for - just until they reach the ground level? I ask only because looking at my neighbours asparagus bed he has mounds above ground level?
In the Veg and Herb Expert it says that you should keep covering the asparagus until the the bed is level in the Autumn, but mine are already about a third of the way up. Am a very confused gardener!! Although I must say when I had no idea what I was doing (not that I have much more now)!, I just planted some asparagus like you would a bedding plant, rarely weeded roung them and they grew fine. Persistent little plant!
i'm hoping to put my asparagus next to a raised bed. the bit i'm i'm using is about 14" wide and 2.5m long. as it is right next to raised bed, and a reply earlier on said they have big roots, do i need to partition deep down to stop roots from entering raised bed area?