I am thinking of trying some asparagus next year (no room this year). So the bed that I am growing strawberries in this year will be turned in to the asparagus bed after the stawbs come out this year
I have never grown it before so have done a little reading but any help & tips from you guys would be great.
Also because I'm not planting until next year I thought I might grow them from seed.
Does anyone have any suggestions as to which is the best type to grow for taste and yield
I sowed Mary Washington asparagus seeds last year. They have just started to shoot up and look like miniature asparagus suitable for a dolls house ;D
Thanks Lillian
When did you plant them and what did you do with them over the winter, greenhouse or house ?
Growing from seed means it'll be years before you get anything. (We did it years ago, in the garden.)
Personally, I'd recommend buying in crowns and planting them in March or April. And get one of the newer Dutch varieties, which are more reliable and consistent than the older types. I've got Backlim and Gijnlim, but I think there are others. Do a google and see what you prefer.
You'll still have a long wait, of course: nothing the first year; just a few spears the second; stop picking at the end of May the third year. But then you've got a good supply for the next 25 or 30 years!
Well snap to the first post - we have taken out the strawberries and made it into an asparagus bed just this last week!!
And snap to the last post - I have ordered the same two varieties of crowns from New Park farm in Kent. We'll be planting them when they arrive.. so no asparagus for us this year, but looking forward to next and years and years to come ;D ;D ;D ;D
Alison
Remember - only a taster next year. ;) ;) ;) ;) ;)
Great minds !!
Quote from: Alimo on April 14, 2010, 15:37:41
Well snap to the first post - we have taken out the strawberries and made it into an asparagus bed just this last week!!
And snap to the last post - I have ordered the same two varieties of crowns from New Park farm in Kent. We'll be planting them when they arrive.. so no asparagus for us this year, but looking forward to next and years and years to come ;D ;D ;D ;D
Alison
I love asparagus - we should have done it years ago!!
Oh well better late than never :)
Alison
Quote from: greenhousegirl on April 14, 2010, 11:28:24
Thanks Lillian
When did you plant them and what did you do with them over the winter, greenhouse or house ?
Sowed them in spring and planted them out in summer, ignored them all winter. Seem to be doing fine, but it will be afew years before I can harvest.
A chap on our site planted some Asparagus he bought from Wilkinsons about a month ago and he has spears coming up....thats not normal is it?
I think it is - he just wont be able to harvest any this year.
Someone will let us know if this info is right :)
Alison
wouldnt think he planted em deep enuff.Am sure wen i did mine i dug a 10" deeep trench,put crowns in bottom and as they grew kept backfilling.
At least he's got something coming up. When I planted mine I dug my lovely trenches, complete with the hump in the middle, planted and backfilled. .... 4 yrs of nothing but wasted space.
I planted 10 crowns for my daughter 10 days ago, and when I visited her this week there were tiny shoots showing. That's London, a degree or so warmer than elsewhere.
My 7 yr old asparagus is not showing yet.
prob a daft question lou but,were the plants growing as you backfilled ?
I'm 35 miles West of London and my asparagus has spears between just emerging and 6" tall. As they're only 2 years old now and have only been in the ground a year I won't be cutting till next year.
Well that's my decision made then. Backlim & Gynlim crowns it is.
Is there any benefit to planting them in July when all the strawbs are out or should I wait until the spring?
I have planted Gynlim in July. As long as they are watered well and mulched they should be ok. Mine are two years old and looking likely we may get some lovely specimens.
There's no harm and little cost in trying to grow some asparagus from seed too. I did this successfully, and it took 3 years from seed to get decent thick spears. Think I sowed Martha Washington. Started off in deep seed trays.
I grew Martha Washington from seed too but direct in the ground. This is year 3 ;D
Quote from: Trevor_D on April 14, 2010, 15:13:38
Growing from seed means it'll be years before you get anything. (We did it years ago, in the garden.)
I was under the impression is was just an extra year from seed? (he says hopefully thinking of the tray of seedlings!).
If you buy crowns you give them a whole year before picking any... if from seed you spend a year or two developing the crown... ( I did some Conver's Colossal from seed) so three years to a proper crop from Crowns, four years from seed...# ;)
Depends on the age of the crowns - you can buy both 1 year and 2 year old crowns.
By the book you shouldn't start picking until the crowns are in their 4th year, but if you plant 1 year old crowns you can take a single spear off each crown in it's third year, ie the year after planting.
I grew mine from seed but didn't lose a year as I used the year to clear the ground for the bed - well mostly.
I am still a bit worried that nothing is coming up. I did put a layer of manure on and wonder if I have backfilled too much before it was ready. The fronds were up last year but nothing yet this. Reassurance needed please?!
My established and my new crowns haven't shown yet... it has been cold... :)
My Connovers Colossal, grown from seed 25 years ago, are ready for first cut, I'm so looking forward to tea tomorrow.......I'm going to grow another lot from seed soon ready to replace these in a few years, this time I'll be sure to plant them where there is no comfrey popping up.
Sorry to hijack the thread but i need some advice. I bought some crowns of glinjim back in febuary and after a hiatus for weather and making a bed for them got them planted about a month ago. I followed all the recomended planting advice for asparagus and made sure they were well soaked prior to planting.
As yet nothing has come up. i am concerned that something has gone wrong. We had a lot of rain just after planting and of course in the last couple of weeks it has been very dry, dry enough to crack the soil around the asparagus. When i spotted this i gave them a good soak and a mulch of spent potting compost.
Am I being too impatient? How long should i give them? The crowns are still there just not doing anything. Have I done something wrong? Do I need to get more crowns and start again? Please advise.
Chill... if the crowns are still there (not rotted away) then the shoots will come up when the soil warms up enough.. :)
had the first pickings for lunch, Mmmmmmmmmmmmm
My asparagus has had to live in pots as ive moved four times in three years and im looking at the garden now wondering where it can go and how to maximise space.
Can i plant anything on top of it or in the same bed such as climbing beans sweetcorn , as it seems like a crop for the landed gentry with bags of room.
Does anyone do this?
x sunloving
You could plant a catch crop like lettuce between the rows.
Quote from: sunloving on April 19, 2010, 18:41:57
My asparagus has had to live in pots as ive moved four times in three years and im looking at the garden now wondering where it can go and how to maximise space.
Can i plant anything on top of it or in the same bed such as climbing beans sweetcorn , as it seems like a crop for the landed gentry with bags of room.
Does anyone do this?
x sunloving
asparagus needs a bed to itself. but so do most crops.
We had our first two spears yesterday from crowns I put in last years from Wilko. I also grew some from seed last year, direct sown, and they're coming through nicely, though won't be picked for a couple of years.
A friend of mine plants rocket in her asparagus bed around the edges I think. It seems to work for her.