Allotments 4 All

Thinking of having a bash at an  Asparagus bed next year,can you recommend a good variety. I like the look of one called Crimson pacific. :-\

Hi Froglegs. 

I'm sorry I can't recommend a variety as I dodn't have room to grow it, sadly.  However I'm happy to volunteer my services as a taster if that helps?   ;)  ;D

G x

Thank you for your kind offer, your application will go to the top of the pile.

You'll have a long wait, froggie, but it will be worth it  :P :P :P :P

http://www.deltagreen.nl/index.php?pid=221&lang=en

I have Backlim and Gijnlim, both all male hybrids, and find them excellent. I bought one year crowns six years ago (ten of each) and find them productive, fat and delicious. No berries, no stray seedlings.

Also:  http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/allotment/2008/feb/01/februaryisthecalmbefore

eg: "The experts agree that the one year old F1 male hybrids give by far the best and most reliable results. The RHS has given the Award of Garden Merit to 'Backlim', 'Gijnlim,' and 'Lucullus'."

I have 20 beauties I bought as crowns in Italy five years ago, they are fantastic but unknown variety.  Also have 10 Gijnlim, 1 year old this year, six Millenium F1 which are now two years' old.  The three of us never go short during the season.

You may be interested that T&M are doing autumn planting Varieties. Try this link or go to the home page and search on asparagus.

http://www.thompson-morgan.com/search.html?section=all&search=Asparagus

Marshalls have done autumn planting ones for a couple of years now

I can recommend Gijnlim. Left it alone in first year, as recommended. Lots of delicious spears after a couple of years.

'Backlim', 'Gijnlim,' and 'Lucullus'

The three drunk hobbits

LOL Sawfish

Gijnlim is also very robust - I got dried out old roots from Woolies in Jan, planted them & then relaised they were in the wrong place - dug them up to find they'd already sprouted, replanted them & forgot.  Nothing grew & I forgot about them, put a big pot over that bit of the garden.  Moved the pot may/June & found a lovely couple of spears had grown round the back of the pot.

I'm in 't North, so I was impressed!  Looking forward to cropping some year after next given the reccommendations here.

connovers collossal, huge spears, very prolific, do you want some seed? ;)

I have a Backlim with a berry on it... thought it's meant to be a boy?

I think the small print says "mostly male" rather than "100 percent male", which means the occasional female will slip through.

Next Spring I will be able to tell you about the variety "Martha Washington" that I sowed in 2005. I hope the wait is worth it.

The progress can be seen on :-

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

I have a mixed bed of Mary Washington and a Purple variety I forget the name of.  The purple spears are fantastic, sweet and tender enough to eat raw, however they lack the ridigity of the green varieties so they suffer in any wind and quickly get damaged unless staked later in the season.  The green variety withstands anything. Well worth a go alongside a green variety.

Peter

Quote from: asbean on October 03, 2008, 11:32:34
I think the small print says "mostly male" rather than "100 percent male", which means the occasional female will slip through.

That makes sense, becase I also have a Backlim which appears to be sexually confused.l

I think a lot of us are  :o :o :o :o :o