Asparagus patch

[PinkinPA]

I am thinking of starting an asparagus patch. What do I need to know? Thanks!

[cschick]

Originally Posted by PinkinPA

I am thinking of starting an asparagus patch. What do I need to know? Thanks!

It needs to be a patch of ground that you're willing to give up to asparagus for at least the next decade. It also requires patience, the first year at least, all you do is cross your fingers and hope your crowns sprout well.

There are a few different varieties available to the common gardener nowadays: Mary Washington is the standard, old variety with both male and female plants. There are other all-male varieties available, but they a bit harder to find. The all-male varieties do not seed all over your garden, and tend to produce a bigger overall harvest (since none of the plants are putting energy into creating seeds).

Also, depending on your zone, it's probably a little late to start from crowns this year. I'm in zone 5, for example, and it's recommended that if you're starting from crowns, you plant in early/mid April.

Umm, I think I've heard the recommendation of ~25 crowns to feed a family of 4.

[PinkinPA]

Thanks for this. Although I admit, I know nothing of growing asparagus.

I'll look into the Mary Washington type.

[CariOfOz]

I'll admit to never having tried to grow it (we rent a house right now) but I have read up on it. Cs nailed it.. your asparagus bed is nothing else, for a very long time. I know that the first year after you plant the crowns you do not harvest anything... you're letting them get established. Second year you can harvest a FEW .. the next year go crazy

[lmonter]

Get good crowns. Simmons Plant Farm rocks - got Mary WA and Jersey Knight. I also have purple ones I got from Irish Eyes. Purple is fun.

Make sure you have the space to plant 'em and to leave them there the next 25 years. As in, if you move, digging them up to take with you is freakin' hard if not impossible. Ask me how I know.

Mulch really, really, really well. Weeding the asparagus patch sucks @$$. Again, ask me how I know.

You'll need tons of patience. I planted our 100+ crowns two years ago, and was just able to harvest this year. I also lost about 15-25% of them. If you're better at things than I am (some languished in a bad spot in the yard, others weren't stuck in the ground soon enough for the bare roots to recover, etc), you should be better off than that.

It's crazy how big the asparagus gets when it ferns out. Like a little 4-foot tall Christmas tree, seriously. And the female plants will throw little red berries (inside are the little black seeds in goo casings), so it really does look a little like Christmas in summertime. So don't plant sun-loving things near the asparagus's shadow is the moral of my story.

[Sarah W]

We were just talking about adding asparagus! We were watching Alton Brown. I don't think we have the room for it, though. Could I do just a couple of crowns? It wouldn't be sufficient for us, but it would be fun.

[CariOfOz]

LOL @ Imonter. So we are to take it you are the resident expert in what not to do with asparagus?

[lmonter]

Sarah, I squished our asparagus crowns at about 12-18 square inches each or so. None of that 2-feet-apart nonsense. I also didn't dig that goofy 12-18 inches down, just maybe 6-8 inches if that, in a big flat hole and kinda laid the roots down to let them find their way down on their own. I'm lazy that way.

Cari, I don't know about expert, but I've definitely done my share of goofy/stupid things. I'd definitely start/do things differently at the next place.

[kdaisy]

I just planted asparagus seeds this year. (They will be crowns I can transplant next year.) Having said that...

Plant crowns! Out of my whole pack of seeds only two germinated. I guess I haven't lost any time if I just buy crowns next season. But the benefit to seeds was that I could have potentially chosen only male plants from my seedlings.

[artemis33]

I've also read that you should choose your spot and start working it a year before you plant, so this is a great time to get started! That is what I am doing now. The crowns like well worked weed free soil, so it will probably take me that long to get it ready anyway. Then early next spring, I will plant. I just have to choose a spot!

[CariOfOz]

Originally Posted by lmonter

Sarah, I squished our asparagus crowns at about 12-18 square inches each or so. None of that 2-feet-apart nonsense. I also didn't dig that goofy 12-18 inches down, just maybe 6-8 inches if that, in a big flat hole and kinda laid the roots down to let them find their way down on their own. I'm lazy that way.

Cari, I don't know about expert, but I've definitely done my share of goofy/stupid things. I'd definitely start/do things differently at the next place.

Thank you for that I am a rather lazy gardener too, and I'm just starting really! So it's nice to see that some more experienced gardeners don't always get it perfect right away! Makes me feel a little more confident in my efforts and to try different plants

[lmonter]

Heh, I'm not that experienced though. Just a few years of stumbling along and having the bazillion mistakes to go along with it. Just like how I've stumbled along with canning. I'm about 90% sure I'll plant asparagus crowns in our new place similarly, but I'm going to mulch the hell out of things. I detest weeding.

Just like saving seed - it's kinda trial and error, and you find your groove and strengths/weaknesses as you go along. (I've saved all kinds of crazy seeds from just my little yard in the last few years - beans, celery, tomato, carrots, asparagus, cilantro/coriander, parsley, whatever, and have discovered a love of letting those suckers do their own self seeding - easier for me and my spazzy seed-starting as of late - think I even have a few random basil starts out there!)

Blueberries are still my kryptonite though. Haven't been able to get a bush to a decent size here in the last 6 years. Could be the soil, could be the sun, could be me. Who knows.