Hi all, picked my 1st shoots of the season on sunday mind you only 2 were ready, few more prob next weekend,still better than nowt.Mine are now in 5th year.
Amazingly early? We get our first about 7 May.
Having planted six off one year old crowns (Marte F1) earlier this year, and sowing seed to increase my stock (Martha Washington?), reading posts such as this has me dribbling. Please continue ... :D
We also had 2 shoots yesterday. Agree that it is very early - usually May - can't remember cuttiing it in April previously. Mine is at least 10 years old.
A farmer nearby put his aspagarus for sale signs up in the last weekend of March - he does try to extend the season by growing a number of different varieties, though.
I've got one shoot through :) I've been watching very closely as the crowns are in a relatively wet bed and I didn't think I'd added enough sand to the soil to help with drainage etc .... so I was very pleased to see the first shoot on Sunday.
We are looking forward to our first camping trip of the season in Norfolk at the end of the month, even more so now there's the possibilityof early asparagus - yum, nothing better than asparagus cooked on a camping stove, with lemon, butter pesto and gnocchi..
:'( :'(
No sign of mine yet........
:'( :'( :'(
Nor me.
East Sussex: I planted male hybrid crowns five years ago (tried seed - too variable) and had wonderful quantities last year. Six or seven shoots were just starting to show yesterday.
I expect to pick from late April in a normal year, and last year was able to take a reasonable amount to my sister's 60th birthday party in time for 1st May, which fixes the date in my head. This year is very late for all sorts of things, and I was surprised and delighted to see the small shoots.
Still no shoots showing on my well established bed - normally get something by now!
Well you can only be patient ! Four, possibly five of my six plants are showing shoots now. They look extremely fragile though ! I am reluctant to go anywhere near the bed.
just to rub it in picked nother 6 today,dont worry jen theyll come on.Ones i thoght id lost are starting to grow now.
mine are still in the tray waiting to be planted !!!!!
butjus on one theres a little shoot coming out !!! wouldnt feed a mouse like but its there
Not far behind Grotbag!
Should be cropping well by midweek!
May your wee smell go before you!! And all of us!!
How many asparagus crowns are needed to produce a worthwhile crop?
I've never grown it, but think that I should start to consider a bed...I just wondered how much of an investment it will be?
Mine is in the 4th year from seed, don't know when or can I pick them? Are thet strong enough to pick yet?
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j114/millyle/asparagus1.jpg)
(http://i78.photobucket.com/albums/j114/millyle/asparagus2.jpg)
Picked one yesterday had it for my tea. Put it in a cup and zapped in the micro!!!! This is my third year so hoping for good things this time!!!!!
Ours are still hiding under the good coating of manure we gave them in February.
Mind you, with the weather being as it has been,, I'm not too certain that I'd be looking to get out of bed early ;)
Mothy I put in nine crowns from Wilkinson's of course. But they should be there for 25 years so they say.
Mine are starting to emerge, but then I only bought them a few weeks ago so all I want this year is some growth.
I planted my asparagus crowns late Friday afternoon and on Sunday I had shoots above the ground :o shame I can't eat any for the first year.
Mine are starting to come now. I'm a year behind you, Yuet_Lee, I've seen some people say 3 years and some 4 -so you should be OK. I was thinking of taking 1 or 2 spears/plant this year and more next?
I am very relieved to hear that a lot of you have not got any asparagus yet as I was beginning to panic. I had to move mine in January as I have moved plots. None of mine are showing yet, but it looks like there is still a chance.
Rosemary
yuet lee, you can pick all you want if 4 year old, upto bout mid june
Grotbag, Some of them are very thin, thiner than pencil. Some of them are thicker.
How tall shall I leave it to grow above the ground before cutting?
I usually pick them when they are about 6 - 9" high, but only the thick ones.
Still no sign of mine yet :(
Seem to remember saying 4"? Sorry - 6-8" of course. And cut 2-3" below soil level.
But you don't leave the thin ones to go to fern yet, surely, Jenny? Even they can be tasty!
All this talk - just had to go & look - 1 x 1" shoot in 20'.
Well yes, but I have plants of different ages all mixed up in my bed Tim (blush) so I tend to assume they are the younger ones and leave them be.
Really, Jenny - you??
But then, if you mark the first ones that have wimpy things, & check later if they revert to the norm, you might save a good plant from thinking it was 'ripe'??
Talking off the top of my head. Per usual!!
Tim - I will mark the wimpy ones, honest!
Meantime - found the first shoot ;D (have been scrabbling in the soil daily) and here it is:
Once you have mature plants and you are cutting shoots how many shoots should you leave on or does it not matter?
I cut all my spears when about 5" tall, thick or thin i cut em all til mid june then stop
Think I should be able to cut a few spears this year - (bought as 1 year crowns in 2004) as a few are showing about as thick as a finger where last year they were wimpy (a la Tim!). Surprised at them being so advanced this early here tho a few plants aren't showing any yet, but I am looking forward happily.....