asparagus

[R2elk]

Thanks for all the links/tips. Ordered some from the seed nerds that @Mini Horses referenced... they also have the Country Gentleman "shoe peg" white corn I like... open pollinated... so hope to save some seed for next year after I get it all grown/planted/harvested. See how it goes with them. The price was good and a good number of seeds per package... Have you looked at the prices of seeds in the stores? and they don't give you near so much as they used to either... I am going to see what/if there are any asparagus crowns at any of the stores/nurseries... would like to try some of the purple ones for fun.

Purple Passion are good.

 

[murphysranch]

Nibble them right there in the garden!!!

 

[wyoDreamer]

Our place has tons of wild asparagus growing all over the place, mostly along the fence lines I notice. I am sure the fence line is an area that is undisturbed, so that is why it is growing there. It grows in full sun, as it needs the suns warmth to defrost the ground and get it to start growing so early in the spring.

You can buy all male plants or the old fashioned kind (like Marth Washington, which has both male and female plants). I guess the all male are a larger asparagus shoot and won't make baby plants which will make for smaller shoots because of overcrowding.

If you have a nice place for it, I would make a bed about 2' to 3' wide and as long as you want. It will make it easier for you to weed, pick aspargus and mulch with a narrower row. Plant 18" apart and don't harvest for 3 to 5 years.

 

[henless]

I have the Purple Passion variety growing. They have a nutty flavor. I usually eat them raw out in the garden.

 

[R2elk]

Our place has tons of wild asparagus growing all over the place, mostly along the fence lines I notice. I am sure the fence line is an area that is undisturbed, so that is why it is growing there. It grows in full sun, as it needs the suns warmth to defrost the ground and get it to start growing so early in the spring. You can buy all male plants or the old fashioned kind (like Martha Washington, which has both male and female plants). I guess the all male are a larger asparagus shoot and won't make baby plants which will make for smaller shoots because of overcrowding. If you have a nice place for it, I would make a bed about 2' to 3' wide and as long as you want. It will make it easier for you to weed, pick asparagus and mulch with a narrower row. Plant 18" apart and don't harvest for 3 to 5 years.

The female shoots are bigger than the male shoots.

My asparagus bed is approximately 5' wide by 20' long. It started at 3' wide and keeps spreading from seeds.

I started with Martha Washington and Jersey Giant. Later I added Purple Passion. Now it is a mix of those plus hybrids created by the original plants. The hybrids have a distinctly different taste. The taste is just different and not any worse or any better than the originals.

There isn't anything comparable to asparagus picked fresh from the garden and then cooked to your preferences.

 

[wyoDreamer]

I have been moving wild asparagus plants from areas that are going to be disturbed to my garden area. So far so good. Luckily we have a tractor with a backhoe, those asparagus plants grow deep...

 

[Lilbitsnpieces]

My apoligies im very tech challeged🙄 After potatoes are planted Is when i flood the trench, usually with water from duck ponds..this waters and fertilizes newly planted spuds. Ducks are usually turned into that garden the followin day.

I agree with you, not that i NEVER rotate, but when i do its for a specific reason. EX. beans to set nitrogen where i planted onions the year before. Im about zone 5? but plant as if zone 3, good thing to as last few years we have had 20 below TEMPS in winter months.
#2 #4 i cut ferns (after they are dead) and pile them in middle with dead tomatoe plants..this is into our fall, usually sept/oct so plants are dried and its usually cold. I burn them in place. If its going to rain i cover the material with a tarp so it stays dry and burns quickly..if it hasnt rained i water around the plants to contain the burn. Some ash is sprinkled around the bed, while most left in middle. Then the Peelings from apple and pear harvest are dumped on top of ash in middle or in trench, NEVER on the aparagus plants, to help feed over winter. Then leaves Collected are used to cover complete bed. This bed is then "finished" and "prepared" for winter.
#3 After years of doing this my soil is dare i say close to perfect? In spring i Do not remove leaves i simply plant in them..so potatoes are laid on top of the leaves then covered with enough dirt to "bury" the eyes of that particular one. Usually about a pint of soil does the job. One could cover whole trench with dirt but I found that a waste of time, effort and soil. Then more leaves to cover. I water, to fill trench, and give taters a good drink, again usually with pond water as they need drained and cleaned anyway.. Ducks are turned into garden next day..This step usually around GOOD FRIDAY..so it can be a couple months before tomatoes are planted..i do not put tomatoes in the ground until mothers day..
I have some in civered beds and houses but not in this circular bed.

If i want to incorporate new aparagus plants..i usually do it in the fall. After i place some ash in trench, and the raw peelings of harvest I cover it with soil then place asparagus crowns. keepin the crown above soil line. I back fill trench with more soil. Plants are "staggered" from older ones. Then well water and again all covered with leaves..The following spring another trench is dug completely around bed and potatoes planted inthis new trench..

 

[Lilbitsnpieces]

If i want to incorporate new aparagus plants..i usually do it in the fall. After i place some ash in trench, and the raw peelings of harvest I cover it with soil then place asparagus crowns. keepin the crown above soil line. I back fill trench with more soil. Plants are "staggered" from older ones. Then well water and again all covered with leaves..The following spring another trench is dug completely around bed and potatoes planted inthis new trench..

Thus the circular bed continues to become a bigger circle as one adds more asparagus, while center remains same size..unles one decides to remove the older aparagus plants which increases inner circle diameter. I will try to photogragh and upload..at very least i will create a diagram of this...Hope I was clear enough in my explanations

 

[Lilbitsnpieces]

Thus the circular bed continues to become a bigger circle as one adds more asparagus, while center remains same size..unles one decides to remove the older aparagus plants which increases inner circle diameter. I will try to photogragh and upload..at very least i will create a diagram of this...Hope I was clear enough in my explanations

Here is a photo i found of a bed last year AFTER winter.. leaves in trench are covering seed potatoes (.can you see the circle around the perimeter? ) White pole is outer edge of INNER circle. Bare ground to the right of pole is the egde of actual asparagus plants...The 2 catmint plants to the left of photo is the "entrance" to the inner garden area..it is lined with the pavers.
If one enlarges the photo one can see that the "raw" peelings ect. that have broken down over winter, with exception of looks like an avacado peel and Asparagus is coming up..must have took this before a harvest if spears.

 

[Lazy Gardener]

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..

I find ducks are absolutely much easier to "get them where they need to be". They are more sociable, more apt to come when called, especially if they see me with a garden fork or spade in my hand. They are easily herded. I have ducks and chickens trained to go into their enclosures with the words, "go to bed." If I need to emphasize beyond my wide spread hands, I find that a fiberglass fence post repeatedly tapped on the ground is highly effective. Ducks will go in as a group. BUT... chickens... after the first group goes in, while I'm trying to get the stragglers in, the early ones in... pour back out. Kind of like herding grasshoppers. A handful of scratch grain keeps the early birds entertained while the stragglers show up.