asparagus

[CrealCritter]

The big green ones in approximately the 11:00 position, have about a week or so head start being transplanted outside in the kiddie pool. They seem to like the limed duck poop & sawdust barn scraping, so I went ahead and transplanted the rest. Picture taken the April 24th, after transplanting. I got them packed them in there pretty tight.

While researching, I found this picture of mature asparagus root system. It's pretty wild to see what goes on underground.

Credit for picture:
Asparagus Root System - Innovak Global

Good info here https://web.extension.illinois.edu/veggies/asparagus.cfm

Jesus is Lord and Christ 🙏❤️🇺🇸

 

[CrealCritter]

FYI... I did experience some fern dieback. From the second planting only. Although the test planting plants are doing great. If I had to guess the reason for fern back, is transplant shock, I didn't harden them off or I might have let them dry out a little too much, IDK... But the roots are obviously happy because they are sending up new ferns to replace the ones that died back.

Asparagus is such a strange plant... I have to think about what is going on in the soil that I can't see. That's what needs to stay happy. The ferns are just a reflection of what's going on underground.

Fern dieback

Replacement ferns close up, they are so thin and tiny, not asparagus yet 🙄

If I were to do this over again. I would fill the kiddie pool with 1/2 barn scraping, 1/2 peat moss mix well and add a healthy dusting of barn lime. I would fill the pool with water and let it soak a day or so then pop my drainage holes around the bottom. I would direct sow seeds, broadcast right on top of the soil mix, then cover with a couple inches of peat moss around the end of March and set it out in a semi sunny spot. And then baby sit them, supply their water needs. They take a long time to fern, about 4 to 6 weeks or so.

Jesus is Lord and Christ 🙏❤️🇺🇸

 

[CrealCritter]

I think the asparagus seedlings grabbed hold. Getting taller and sending up lots of new ferns.

Jesus is Lord and Christ 🙏❤️🇺🇸

 

[CrealCritter]

😁

Jesus is Lord and Christ 🙏❤️🇺🇸

 

[CrealCritter]

Maybe just "one" meal?

Nope... no doing, too young still. I just started from seed last year. I'll need to baby sit them this year. They really do need another year to get established and build up vigor.

 

[CrealCritter]

😋

Jesus is Lord and Christ ✝️

 

[Lilbitsnpieces]

Thanks for the pics. The inner circle is also filled with asparagus crowns? Or is that basically a perpetual compost pile?

I'm finding that I absolutely love having ducks. They are quite busy, working the whole yard. They love coming into the garden with me, but... I'm locking them out now that I've started planting.

Only over winter..the i ner circle is where i plant the tomatoes. My original bed has a 5ft inner circle. Then 2nd ring is asparagus 11/2 to 2 ft. 3rd ring is the trench, where one would plant potatoes..If you ever ad more crowns..they would be placed in the 3rd ring then a 4th ring would become the new trench for potatoes..
I also LOVE my ducks..they root and aerate not dig up like my chickens. Mine always lay their eggs in their house. They go in at night when i say nite nite time..and go to gardens by themselves by which way i first direct them..i also train all mine to go in a kennel placed near them by saying nite nite time..makes any transportin SO EASY..

 

[farmerjan]

Are there any farmers in the area that put silage into the long bags? It is very heavy duty plastic... one use only... if so, go ask if you can clean it up for them in exchange for the bag. It will be cut or torn so they can get into it with a skid loader/bucket tractor of some sort... It has a white side (outside) and a black side (inside). Put it black side up... overlap if you get pieces... and it will need to be weighted down but will kill (cook) anything under it in the heat of the summer. Little work to get it... but they will clean it up and throw it away.....

 

[farmerjan]

This is the silage bag material... not the white wrap they put around the rolls of hay to make haylage... that is wrapped in layers... not thick and not black inside...

 

[farmerjan]

How fresh is the barn scrapings? Might be too strong for the new asparagus... might burn them.... I would have gone with your original plans to do half and half with the peat and all on top for them to be able to reach down into the barn scrapings after they had grown a bit AND the barn stuff had had a chance to compost some...