Any Asparagus growers

[tomatoaddict]

I've decided to put in an Asparagus bed this spring.
Any info from seasoned veterans of Asparagus would be appreciated. Also, any recommendations on varieties.
Thanks

[Tom C zone 4/5]

If you like digging in the spring to make beds for crowns to a nurserymans clock, buy crowns. If you have to work at your own pace buy seed.

[neoguy]

As Tom suggested, buy crowns, it'll take 2-3 years for a full harvest, better than 3-4 years if sowing from seed.

More importantly, buy male plants vs female.

The male produces better and more spears! The female will start producing seeds rather than spears.

[JerryL]

Be sure you do a VERY good job of preparing the bed. You’ll have your plants there for a LONG time. Unlike your tomato patch that you get to re-work each year.

[DuckCreekFarms]

Like JerryL said, they will be around for a long time a well prepared bed can last 20 years or more. Dig deep and incorparate lots of aged manure or compost. The deeper you plant the crowns the bigger but fewer spears are produced. And if you plant the crowns shallow, they will produce more spears, but they will be thinner. A good predomintaly male selection is Jersey King or Jersey Giant.... Jersy King is carried by Johnnys select seeds. Here in Oklahoma UC157 (F2) is the suggested variety for commercial production. It is not all male, but is a good variety anyway...

gary

[jungseed]

I agree with JerryL. Asparagus should produce for 15 years or more. It prefers a slightly acidic soil. (6.2 to 6.7) Before you plant you need to kill all the weeds in the bed.
don't soak the roots prior to planting. Place the roots in a trench or furrow abut 10 inches deep with each plant 12 to 15 inches apart. Be sure the buds on each crown are right side up. Rows can be 3 to 4 feet apart. Cover the roots and crown with 2 to 3 inches of soil. Water. After the fern like tops begin to develop, the trench can be gradually filled in so that by fall the trench is level or slightly higher. Fertilize yearly. Works best if you use a high nitrogen fertilizer in early spring the 2nd and 3rd year. (20-10-5 or 25-3-3) at a rate of 8 to 10 pounds per 100 feet of row. After the 3rd year a regular fertilizer can be used (10-10-10)at a rate of 5 to 7 pounds per 100 foot row in early spring and the same in early July after the last cutting. If you want any info on harvesting, insects and diseases, let us know.

[gssgarden]

How long is the harvest? A month? 2? All summer?

Thanks,

Greg

[Ruth_10]

Good advice from all above. I fertilze with a generous application of aged horse manure in the fall.

You can start picking (very lightly) in the third year. That is, if you start from seed, start picking after three years. If you start with year-old crowns, pick after two years. If you start with two year old crowns, pick some the following year. The idea is to let the root system get well established. Once well established, then you can pick for six to eight weeks in the spring. You can often judge when to stop by noting the size of the spears--once they get pencil-thin, stop. After that, let them go--the root system needs to be replenished. I started my current bed in 2004 from two year old crowns and picked for four weeks last year and the full 6-8 weeks this year.

The work the first year is brutal, but it's worth it. I don't think one can ever have too much asparagus.

[Wi-sunflower]

Ruth is right about the thickness of the spear telling you how long you can pick.

I got started in the vegie business because my inlaws had a LOT of asparagus they grew for Stokley -- like over 30 acres.

We would get docked if there were spears thiner than a wooden pencil. You want to get them picked before they are uch longer than a pencil too. Other wise they will be tough longer down.

The weather will also determine how long you can pick. A warm but not hot spring, with decent but not drowning rain will make for a longer harvest. But in a spring that gets too cold at nite or too hot during the day or is dry can make for a short picking season. Some years barely a month.

Good luck as fresh asparagus is worth the work.

[Tormato]

Ruth,

I have too much asparagus. Actually, I suppose, I really have too little garden space. I was sent 175 seeds of Jersey Supreme? (it may be F2). All germinated.

I also have a starter bed of UC72. And, about 350 seeds of UC72 that will be sown in 2009. And, a starter bed of Mary Washington, where most of the female plants will be replaced with new male plants.

Terry,

Site sellection is important. You want good drainage, or you could get crown rot. The experts around here say soil ph of 7.2 is best. Planting depth of 7-8 inches in heavy soil, 8-10 inches in light soil. Spacing of 12-14" (others say 10-18")between crowns, 3 feet between rows.

Gary

Originally Posted by Ruth_10

Good advice from all above. I fertilze with a generous application of aged horse manure in the fall.

You can start picking (very lightly) in the third year. That is, if you start from seed, start picking after three years. If you start with year-old crowns, pick after two years. If you start with two year old crowns, pick some the following year. The idea is to let the root system get well established. Once well established, then you can pick for six to eight weeks in the spring. You can often judge when to stop by noting the size of the spears--once they get pencil-thin, stop. After that, let them go--the root system needs to be replenished. I started my current bed in 2004 from two year old crowns and picked for four weeks last year and the full 6-8 weeks this year.

The work the first year is brutal, but it's worth it. I don't think one can ever have too much asparagus.

[tomatoaddict]

Thanks for all of the advice asparagus heads.
Even if I kill off the weeds first, is there any way to keep them from coming back before your first harvest?

[jungseed]

Depends on what method you use to get rid of the weeds in the first place. Wheather you use cultivation or a herbicide. Don't use salt! Shallow hoeing around your furrows will work. We burn our bed very early in the spring and I have to admit we have weeds abundant. But that's all we do.

[tomatoaddict]

Thanks Jung... Seems like no matter what I do, the weeds come back. But it's all good. I'm an expert now at weeding.LOL

[Tom C zone 4/5]

Originally Posted by neoguy

As Tom suggested, buy crowns, it'll take 2-3 years for a full harvest, better than 3-4 years if sowing from seed.

More importantly, buy male plants vs female.

The male produces better and more spears! The female will start producing seeds rather than spears.

Um, NO. Tom did not suggest buying crowns. In fact Tom is disparaging crowns as over priced, inconveinient to home gardening, and over priced.

Did I mention vastly over priced? As well as not a year faster than grown out from seed.

The home gardener that simply must wring every last possible spear from his/her own little bed can cull female crowns to greater effect than the bloated price of having a nurseryman do it for him.

I'm sure somebody is going to dispute me, After all I've only been growing asparagus from seed for the last fourty years, so am therefore a mere amatur at this.

If you want to go away from asapragus growing with the sensation you've been screwed without being kissed, buy crowns.

[Tom C zone 4/5]

Originally Posted by tomatoaddict

Thanks for all of the advice asparagus heads.
Even if I kill off the weeds first, is there any way to keep them from coming back before your first harvest?

Yes, use a thick mulch apply it spring and fall. After year two you can add a layer of cardboard as needed.