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Asparagus
Asparagus officinalis Asparagus is a long-living,
cold-tolerant perennial. This is an
excellent vegetable for Northerners, since it will survive sub-zero
temperatures. In fact, asparagus seems to need a cold spell to thrive. Asparagus can be started from a seed, but it is far easier to
buy or transplant crowns. A
well-tended patch will last for years, if well taken care of. SITE:
Plant in full sun to part shade. The
soil should be well drained and deeply tilled.
Lots of organic matter is useful. The
pH should be 6.5 or higher. Water
moderately. Most varieties of
asparagus must have a cold climate. HOW
TO GROW: When growing asparagus
from a seed, you must start the seeds in the house ten to 12 weeks before you
intend to plant outside. Sow the
seeds 1/4" deep and keep at a temperature of 70 or 80 degrees F.
Plant outside two to three weeks after the last frost.
Space the plants ten to twenty-four inches apart. When
planting dormant roots (crowns), it is good to plant about five weeks before the
average date of the last frost. Space
the crowns about fifteen inches apart. The soil should be loose, and make sure you spread out the
roots. Cover with about two extra
inches of soil. If you have poorly
draining soil (clay, ect...) plant in a raised bed. Remove the perennial roots from the bed before planting. During
the first year, water if the amount of rain is less than one inch a week (a rain
gauge will help with this). Apply a
one-inch layer of compost every spring and fall. Aged manure is good, or any type of compost will do.
Deeply mulch with straw, leaves and hay.
This will prevent weeds. Maintain
weedlessness around plants. In
winter, after the stems turn brown, cut back to five-inch stubs and remove
cuttings. Mulch in winter for
protection; remove in the spring so that the soil can warm up. TO
HARVEST: When growing older
male/female plants in colder climates, wait two years after planting to harvest.
This will allow the roots to get established. Twist
or cut the spears at the base when the spear is six to eight inches tall. Stop
harvesting when the spears grow up pencil thin. CULTIVARS:
Mostly male plants: 'Jersey Prince', thick spears, high yields; Jersey
Knight', large, tender spears with purple bracts, resists fusarium and rust; 'UC 157', for mild regions such as California, the South, and
the Northwest, high yields, good flavor; 'Larac', white spears when deeply
mulched, tender, early, well-adapted, high yields; tolerates some cutting one
year after planting. |
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