Allotments 4 All

This may be a little bit sad on my part to be so excited.......... but two years after planting my asapragus crowns I have just had my first crop, albeit three spears for my tea. And I have to say they were fat, sweet and very very good. Having eaten them though I think I should have immortalised them by taking a picture.

Okay I'll stop now as I am really getting to be a bit anoraky about the whole thing!

;D

don't worry, another anorak here...../ shades x

Hey I love em, and anoracks too XX Jeannine

Me too. Best veggie of all! (Apart from peas, perhaps?)

Four pickings so far. But Nick, with a plot further up, had half a carrier bag full the other day!

Suzanne, did you grow from seed or plants?

http://www.allaboutliverpool.com/allaboutallotments_Vegetables_asparagus.html

I grew from plants, put them in 2004. I was a little woried about taking a crop last year so restrained myself - just.

Since planting I have had yearly enquiry from neighbours who have been waiting for the first crop as well. As I planted 20 crowns I think they may be in luck!

Don't you like asparagus very much then, Suzanne? We've got 20 crowns as well - no-where near enough! I've already decided to put another 10 in the next bed and am eyeing up the one after that. Bet you don't have too many spears left over!

We're off to the PYO tomorrow morning - their asparagus season has just started. Three fields, each bigger than a football pitch! Sheer pornography!!!  :) :) :)

suzanne i dont know if your plants were 1 or 2 year old crowns, but either way i wouldnt pick to many this year,by being prudent now you will reap the benefits in future years.

Looks like it's best to only lightly pick them this year then.....ah well, I'll stick to two or three spears from each crown.

I am not sure of the potential yields from 20 crowns, they are Grolim an all male type and I am sure the blurb said something like 15lbs - I was hoping for about 10 lbs at least when into full production. If not looks like I will be planting another bed up as well.

Mine are Grolim as well. Plant another bed (or 3!).

We had 12 crowns I think - 2 different types, one dutch I think and the other CC (can't recall at mo the rest of the names - reaches for catalogue! Connover's Colossal). The dutch type is either Grolim or Backlim.

Sorry to jump in but does the bed have to be kept weed free?

well i hand weed mine regularly

Took my first picking today, having been away for ten days, and got a heavy carrier bag from 20 plants put in 5 years ago, also Dutch all male plants. They were gigantic! Convulvulous has got into the bed, sadly, but it is fairly easy to keep on top of it as the soil is soft and crumbly (and rather dry, but no water available).

Ours is up and will be eaten for tea tomorrow! Try to keep as weed free as poss., got couch in mine when I was poorly and lost two years by having to dig them all out and re-establish...
:'(

Quote from: saddad on April 20, 2007, 23:35:23
... got couch in mine when I was poorly and lost two years by having to dig them all out and re-establish...

Couch - pah! kid's stuff - just don't let the raspberries get in! I heeled some in and forgot about them, and same as you had to dig up the entire bed and re-plant the asparagus.
Had first meal of mine tonight too.

I bought 3 crowns from wilkinsons in March (yep, that's all!!!). I planted them, each crown had a spear each. The spear has now withered away, is that what was supposed to happen?? Looks like I am going to need some more. How close can I plant them?

Re = weeding, best do it by hand because asparagus has fairly shallow roots.

Planted 6 last year and they got to about 18" high and this year they are gone :-[ ???

Andy,that is odd. They usually grow to 5 feet and bush out into huge ferns,so I suspect that they didn't grow large enough to have the nourishment in the greenery to feed the roots below for the following year. Did you by any chance pick the shoots?

XX Jeannine