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Garden Gate:  Growing asparagus: can I do it?  |
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Amie C.
True Blue Farmgirl
2099 Posts
Finger Lakes Region
NY
2099 Posts |
 Posted - Jan 29 2008 : 07:15:41 AM
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| I really want to start an asparagus bed, but I'm not sure I've got a good site for it. It's so much work to put in upfront that I don't want to play around with it. My problem is that I've got a small yard and big trees. I've grown pole beans and hollyhocks in the backyard, but they aren't what you'd call spectacular. They get strong sun, but not for 6 full hours (maybe 2-3 hours of afternoon sun). I could put a raised bed in my front yard, but I'm afraid an asparagus bed isn't really the thing for the front garden. For one thing, it might block my neighbor's view as they back out of their driveway into traffic. And to further complicate matters, I can foresee taking down the big tree in the backyard sometime in the next several years. The tree in the front belongs to the city, and as it gets bigger, my front yard sun will diminish. What do you think? How crucial is full sun for asparagus? How big and messy do the plants get? Should I just pass? |
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lmillward
True Blue Farmgirl
111 Posts
Lorie
Riverton
UT
USA
111 Posts |
Posted - Jan 29 2008 : 7:48:31 PM
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Asparagus used to grow wild on our irrigation ditch banks under large cottonwood trees. They always came back every year. They are beautiful plants and would look lovely in the front yard too!
Long live the weeds and the wildflowers! |
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abbasgurl
True Blue Farmgirl
1262 Posts
Rhonda
USA
1262 Posts |
Posted - Jan 29 2008 : 9:40:52 PM
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We have always had aparagus beds...at our old place and this one. It's not a hard thing to grow...you just dig a trench & put in either seed or roots. Some people make an ordeal about preparing the beds. So silly and unnecessary! You dig the shallow trench, loosen the soil, spread out the roots, cover, water, and wait! I'd go with roots as they have better results and you get all that yummy aparagus faster! There are good varieties out there now that resist rust, so look for those. You might try planting a couple varieties together. I think Miller's carries some good varieties for folks in your region. Keep in mind you won't be eating asparagus the first season, but probably the second if you start with nice mature roots!
You will need full sun, but the good news is that aparagus doesn't need much room. You can plant it in a nice narrow row and it is very attractive after you quit picking. We usually pick until June 1 (maybe different in your area), then let the fronds grow and the plants go to seed. The fronds grow to about 2 foot high, look like airy ferns and won't spead into the surrounding area if you keep it mowed. The fronds do make a nice addition to cut bouquets too. Just don't pick them all, as the plant needs them to regenerate for next year. Later the plant gets pretty red "berries" (the seed pods), and die back in the winter. You might want to mulch the area with straw or grass clippings in the fall if your area gets really cold. Nothing messy of unattractive about asparagus.
OK, there is one messy part...LOL We fertilize in the fall with chicken manure. Sounds gross, but nothing else works for asparagus like good ol' chicken poop.
I only wish other vegetables were as easy to grow as asparagus is. And the reward...well!
Rhonda
I will sing at the top of my lungs, and I will dance even if I'm the only one...
http://www.kattywhompus.etsy.com |
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Amie C.
True Blue Farmgirl
2099 Posts
Finger Lakes Region
NY
2099 Posts |
Posted - Jan 30 2008 : 06:24:16 AM
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| Rhonda, all the asparagus I've seen has been more like 5-6 feet tall. I was reading some info on it the other day, and they mentioned needing to build a frame around the bed to hold up the collapsing fronds as they get too tall to stand up. I didn't know there were shorter varieties. |
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ivmeer
True Blue Farmgirl
409 Posts
Amanda
Pawtucket
RI
USA
409 Posts |
Posted - Jan 30 2008 : 06:41:33 AM
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We grew asparagus when I was a kid. Here are some tips:
1. It takes up a lot of space in relation to its yield, so don't do it if you have a really, really small space.
2. It takes a long time to get started (3 years before you get a real crop). After it's really gotten going, it comes back for 10 or more years, but don't start it unless you're planning on staying in your place for a long time. |
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abbasgurl
True Blue Farmgirl
1262 Posts
Rhonda
USA
1262 Posts |
Posted - Jan 30 2008 : 5:52:54 PM
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Amie... that gave me a chuckle! Build a FRAME? No wonder you are thinking it will be such a chore. If I had to do all that I'd never attempt it! Oh my... Never had the fronds falling in over 25 years. And no frame.  Amanda is right...unless you plan to stay put, an asparagus bed is probably not worth it. BUT...honestly, we have a patch maybe 1.5' X 10', and get so much fresh asparagus we could never eat it all (and there are 5 of us). We end up giving asparagus to everyone who comes by. I don't freeze or can it because I am not a fan of either. I pick it fresh every morning in the springtime.
When we moved we brought roots with us from our old place & bought some new ones too. We moved in during April and had asparagus the following May. Of course it yields more each year. Our old bed was 17 years old and still going stong. If you let it reseed there are always new plants each year too. I dunno why it has done so well for us. We do have really great soil- a black sandy loam. Maybe it's all the chicken poo?
Rhonda
I will sing at the top of my lungs, and I will dance even if I'm the only one...
http://www.kattywhompus.etsy.com |
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Amie C.
True Blue Farmgirl
2099 Posts
Finger Lakes Region
NY
2099 Posts |
Posted - Jan 31 2008 : 05:49:58 AM
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| I don't really know how long we'll be here. I keep hoping we'll move, but we've been here 5 years already. I think I'm going to try it, but I need to think hard about the location. Can you tell me more about your 2 foot asparagus? What variety is it? |
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abbasgurl
True Blue Farmgirl
1262 Posts
Rhonda
USA
1262 Posts |
Posted - Jan 31 2008 : 10:29:53 AM
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Hi Amie,
Since we moved over ten years ago I can't really tell you what varieties we brought with us...I believe those roots were originally transplanted from dh's home farm anyway. But I do remember ordering from Miller Nurseries to add to our plot here. We ordered their Mary Washington variety and it's done really well for us. I looked at their website, and they still carry it (Funny to see them online as they only had the catalogs back then). The Super Male Asparagus sounds interesting too...but I do like volunteers. Miller is a good solid company. We've ordered many of their apple & fruit trees and several english roses . They are in NY, so you know the things they grow are proven for colder climates too. Hope that helps. Oh, here's a link!
http://www.millernurseries.com/cart.php?m=product_detail&p=315
OK Amie, You had me wonderin' why I have such short asparagus. LOL So I did what we modern gardeners do...I looked it up online. One possibilty might be that ours never gets too tall because we keep the fronds picked. I read that it does grow to 4-6 in height IF it isn't picked regularly. We like it so much it NEVER goes unpicked here. Also we do allow it to reseed so the bed is somewhat crowded. I know with other plants that can stunt growth.
Also, about manure. Chicken poop is the best because it is so acidic. If you dress your bed with it, you will never weed. You can use other animal manure, and we have, but the content is different so weeds do come. Just something I got thinking of as I was reading online.
Rhonda
I will sing at the top of my lungs, and I will dance even if I'm the only one...
http://www.kattywhompus.etsy.com |
Edited by - abbasgurl on Jan 31 2008 10:45:26 AM |
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Amie C.
True Blue Farmgirl
2099 Posts
Finger Lakes Region
NY
2099 Posts |
Posted - Jan 31 2008 : 12:27:01 PM
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Thanks, Rhonda. All I know is that all the asparagus I've ever seen has been really tall! I wonder if the acidity of the chicken poop keeps the size down? If it repels weeds, maybe it stunts the asparagus too. But it doesn't matter because the part we eat is the first growth, not the full maturity. I don't have access to chicken manure, but maybe I could get the same effect by adding peat moss. Interesting....
I'm going to check out Millers right now. Never heard of them before. |
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Garden Gate: Growing asparagus: can I do it? |
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Growing asparagus: can I do it?
