There's nothing better on a cool, foggy November morning than finding the asparagus bed is producing again! We are having asparagus for dinner tonight:
I once vowed I'd never touch asparagus - even although I'd never tried it. Now I can't get enough of it. Enjoy and think of me while your munching on it.
Netty, we have two asparagus harvests here in central Texas. The spring harvest is larger--more spears. The fall harvest is smaller but so very appreciated when most of the garden is shut down. Eileen, I wish I could have sent you a half-dozen crisp spears, lightly sauteed in butter, of those we had for dinner. My husband had only encountered canned asparagus, which he referred to as "mossy logs", in his childhood. The first time he had real, fresh, lightly steamed asparagus it was an revelation to him. Now he can't get enough of it!
I find this an interesting posting because where I live there is no such thing as an asparagus harvest at this time of year. Well done you!
When I was in Nienburg, Germany asparagus is really a big thing for them and lots of people were selling them in the open market. The asparagus were grown there locally and it was delicious. We were told that they would stop selling and eating asparagus after June 21st because it is not as tasty after that. Anyway asparagus is a big thing there.
We planted asparagus last year so we only picked enough for a couple of servings as the instructions said to let them get established before heavy picking. The ones we picked were soooo good. I'm really looking forward to next year when we can pick a lot! I was really disappointed though as I ordered all male plants and what I received proved to have a lot of female plants instead. The male plants are suppose to produce more spears and no seedlings. We have asparagus sprouting all over the place now.but have found people to give them to so I guess that is a plus.
2ofus, when the spears just start to break ground next spring, give them some fertilizer. You'll get thicker and more spears. You are so right--home grown and fresh from the bed asparagus is soooo delicious! Can you contact the company you ordered from and request replacements for the female plants? The replacements will be a year behind in development and production, but they will catch up eventually.
Hi all, I am planning to plant asparagus crowns this spring. I have read various things on the web: dig a trench, fertilize it with compost; others have said trenching is no longer necessary & in fact growing asparagus in a raised bed is better, etc. Any advice from you asparagus growers? The community garden where I have my vegie plot tends to have heavy soil, very wet in the spring. I have amended it a great deal with compost. Any suggestions re types of asparagus to grow?
Mart, I just saw your post, so I am really late in responding! We planted a type specific for Texas--U257 if I remember rightly. There were some female plants which I let go to seed and then transplanted the little ones to a fifth row. We wait until the frost kills the tops, then clean the bed, top dress with compost, and when the little spears start to poke through we fertilize with chicken manure compost. Cayuga, in upstate NY we grew Jersey Giant, which has more male plants, and also Martha (perhaps Mary?) Washington and both did well for us. We only had a spring crop because the season was shorter than it is here. I dug a 6" deep trench, placed the crowns (I strongly advise spending the extra money and getting 2 year crowns), and started to fill the trench with 2" of soil. After the crowns began to send up spears, I filled more of the trench until it was at ground level. This is the time to mulch heavily! The spears will penetrate the mulch, and hopefully grass and weeds won't. You'll enjoy your first asparagus harvest, even if it's just a half-dozen spears. Fresh asparagus is one of life's great pleasures !
MG, Thank you so much for your post. It is just what I was looking for: concrete advice. I have heard that Martha (?) Washington & Jersey Giant are good. Maybe I'll try both. How lucky you are that you get TWO harvests per growing season!!
