Fresh asparagus

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I just saw at the store yesterday that the price has finally came down. Its $1.99 a bundle now vs. the $5.99 at Valentines Day.
 
SizzlininIN said:
I just saw at the store yesterday that the price has finally came down. Its $1.99 a bundle now vs. the $5.99 at Valentines Day.

We were just hoping for something like that here, too, and now we got hit by triple cold fronts this week and the weather took a nasty turn right back to winter. I hope and pray the spring crop didn't suffer too much for it!!:(
 
YT2095 said:
I can`t wait for 2 year time when I can start picking my own asparagus, I started them off from seed nearly 3 years ago, even when you plant the crowns you have to wait 3 years before you pick them, from seed you can another 2 years to that!

I`m growing Martha Washington asaparagus, I hope it`s worth the wait! :)

I am part way through replanting my asparagus bed. I am replanting it 1/3 at a time, so as not to be without asparagus for too long. this year we will be eating on the last 1/3 of the old bed. Last year I planted Jersey King, this years 25 crowns are Purple Passion. Have not seen the first tip this year, too early for these parts.
 
I`ve got nothing showing here either just yet, but by May they should all be out tempting me :)

BTW, if ever you get chance to go to the beach in the summer, grab as much seaweed as you can and dry it in the sun and bring it home with you, leave it hanging up in the fresh air.
when bone dry put some gloves on and crush it up (there will be sharp bits), and put a sprinkle of that on your asparagus beds.
you don`t have to wash the salt off either, asparagus does care :)
 
Another "grilled" fan here.
It's also great stir fried:)
I've never planted asparagus before YT, I had no idea it took so long to produce! I guess that kinda justifies the high cost.
 
YT2095 said:
I`ve got nothing showing here either just yet, but by May they should all be out tempting me :)

BTW, if ever you get chance to go to the beach in the summer, grab as much seaweed as you can and dry it in the sun and bring it home with you, leave it hanging up in the fresh air.
when bone dry put some gloves on and crush it up (there will be sharp bits), and put a sprinkle of that on your asparagus beds.
you don`t have to wash the salt off either, asparagus does care :)

This is interesting. We were worried about, and could find no information, planting a new bed right where your old bed was. It seems after 22 years, the soil might be depleted a bit. We do heavily mulch it with bedding from the barn each fall.

Yes, John, it takes many years to get a crop when planted from seed. But once you get the plants up and producing, they will produce for many years. Our old bed gave great results for about 20 years before the harvest started to diminish.
 
bethzaring said:
This is interesting. We were worried about, and could find no information, planting a new bed right where your old bed was. It seems after 22 years, the soil might be depleted a bit. We do heavily mulch it with bedding from the barn each fall.

Yes, John, it takes many years to get a crop when planted from seed. But once you get the plants up and producing, they will produce for many years. Our old bed gave great results for about 20 years before the harvest started to diminish.
Thats amazing Beth,
Do you have to cover the bed at the end of the growing season to protect the plant roots from winter freeze?
 
yeah, they love seaweed, but if you don`t have any, you can buy Liquid seaweed (it`s like an extract) it`s the Iodine they like and a little salt won`t hurt them in anyway at all, I pref the seaweed though as that breaks down slowly and gives a slow but consistant feed.

John, we don`t cover ours at all, but it is grown in a raised bed.
the only thing we do if cut off the Fern like growth ONLY when it`s well and truly dead, before that and you lose nutrients being fed back into the roots.
 
No, the mulch is not to protect the crowns/roots. It is for the nutrient issue. The crowns do not need protection for the winter. But they do need fertilizer and this is the best way we have to fertilize. And it is not a coincindence that the barn is situated right next to the fenced garden.
 
Beth, if you can get ahold of some good manure, side dress your asparagus with it next fall. I'm not talking the bagged stuff from the garden center...you need the real thing.
 
:) YT I used sea weed elixer on my tomatoes last year WOW what a difference.We have wild asparagus thats in the irrigation ditches here but I have yet tried to look for it also growswild in Colorado.By the way I know the Germans eat only white asparagus as opposed to green how do the rest of you europeans have it?
 
Constance said:
Beth, if you can get ahold of some good manure, side dress your asparagus with it next fall. I'm not talking the bagged stuff from the garden center...you need the real thing.

Connie, are you saying I need more than the bedding we use? We try to put the "juicy" stuff between the plants, the bedding is from where the goats hang out in the barn. Some of the bedding is just hay, but some of it has a lot of manure and moisture and we use the wet stuff for the asparagus.
 
we get our manure delivered by the local stables, they would have to pay to get it dumped otherwise, so we help mutualy :)
we leave ours to stand for a good year before using it though, it reduces in size by a good 70% and gets quite Hot too (seen a few fires!), but that`s the best stuff to use we have found, the heat not only kills any pathogens, but unlocks much of the Nitrogen too and makes it easier to handle.
if you know of any large breweries, see if you can get hold of the used hops too :)

IIRC, asparagus is a seaside plant originaly and was brought over (to the UK) by the Romans, that helps explains it`s resistance to salt and love of seaweed :)
 
Well, this has been a fascinating thread for me as I've been debating whether to try and grow asparagus. And if I do, should I grow from seed or just buy crowns.

YT, did you have much difficulty starting the seed off? Did it need any special care?

And Beth, you have a lot of plants. There are just two of us, though doubtless home-grown asparagus might persuade the hordes to turn up. I presume three or four plants might be enough just for us, or is that optimistic and the more the merrier?
 
In the US asparagus is sold by 25's. I do crowns because you get a crop quicker but it is noticeably more expensive to buy crowns than seeds. There are only two of us also and we raise 75 or 100 plants. Each crown sends up a spear a couple times a week. I am afraid 4 plants would never produce a mess to eat. ANd as I said, the fewest crowns you can buy is 25. And connie was correct is saying to store the spears in a container of water in the fridge, just like flowers!
 
special care yes and no, it`s important to put the seeds in warm water, and let them soak for a good 24 hours, then wrap them up in a wet cloth and take to your plant pots and plant as usual, it`s a good idea to plant a few more than you need.
they`ll start to come up after a week or so, and look exactly like Mini asparagus :)
don`t let them dry out ever, when they look strong enough, plant them out where you intend to have them grow, and then cover with pea netting to keep the birds out.
any losses due to predators, you`ll be glad you planted a little extra :)
some start them off in nursery bed and move them to final position some 2+ years later, don`t bother, plant where you want them from the start :)
 
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