Wrennie
Showing Great Promise
Joined: 21 Nov 2007
Location: Catskill Mountains NY
Posts: 644
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| Posted: Mon Sep 01, 2008 5:25 pm Post subject: Does anyone grow asparagus? |
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Does anyone grow asparagus? I love asparagus. Is it hard to grow? Take a long time to get edible size shoots? Need any certain type of soil?How do ya' grow it? Seeds? Rootstock? Someone tell me!
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petunia
Highly Skillful
Joined: 13 May 2006
Location: northern michigan
Posts: 1600
PlantStew: 165 |
| Posted: Mon Sep 01, 2008 5:44 pm Post subject: |
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Wrennie
My husband just started asparagus this june. He bought crowns (rootstock) from walmart. Dug a trench about a foot deep then put in rabbit manure, then added more soil, then he layed down the crowns (roots), Then he added about 2 inches more soil. From there he watered it almost everyday. He probably layed down 2 dozen crowns and now has over 30 that are up. Its best to let them grow for 2 years before cutting, to let their root system establish. I can get picts if you'd like to see them. Also I know Sjoerd has a link to growing asparagus too. Hope this helps.
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Petunia
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gardenmama
Showing Great Promise
Joined: 26 May 2008
Location: Vermont
Posts: 404
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| Posted: Mon Sep 01, 2008 5:45 pm Post subject: |
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Asparagus isn't hard to grow but it takes a lot of time...
You buy root "crowns" in the spring. It takes about 3 growing seasons to harvest the asparagus. Here is a good link on how to do it. It helped us when we put in our bed last spring. Next year we hope to pick.
http://easttexasgardening.tamu.edu/tips/veggie/asparagus.html
Asparagus loves compost and poultry manure.
Good luck. 
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gardengater
Knows Their Stuff
Joined: 30 May 2008
Location: NC
Posts: 915
PlantStew: 26 |
| Posted: Mon Sep 01, 2008 6:12 pm Post subject: |
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I put some crowns in this spring and it put up some stalks about small finger size. I expect I will have some big enough to cut next spring. They are getting large.
Gardengater
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Netty
Chaotic Gardener
Joined: 04 Nov 2006
Location: Southern Ontario zone 5a
Posts: 4965
PlantStew: 5262 |
| Posted: Mon Sep 01, 2008 8:45 pm Post subject: |
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I grow Asparagus too. I grew some from seed (5 years before it put out good shoots for picking), dug some up from the wild (2 years before I picked any) and bought some roots this spring (took a long time to come up and I think it will be another 2 years before I can pick any).
It takes a long time, but it sure is GOOD! 
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Growingpains
Just Arrived
Joined: 13 Aug 2008
Location: Michigan
Posts: 27
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| Posted: Mon Sep 01, 2008 8:51 pm Post subject: |
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A neighbor gave us crowns about three years ago. I just stuck them in the ground back of the flower garden along the creek. The first year they were pencil size. We ate a few and let the rest fern out. They came up the next year and again this year, but we cannot eat it because we water with creek water. It might contain chemicals or insecticides. It's run-off water from yards, roads, etc into the storm drains. The fully grown asparagus is very ferny and a beautiful backdrop for the flowers. No pests bother our's.
Good luck with your's.
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