NEED HELP WITH ASPARAGUS PATCH ?

[johnny j]

HELLO! Please I need help with new asparagus patch.I don't know where to start. If anyone has roots to start with, I would gladly pay for costs for roots on information on where I can get them to start my asparagus patch. Any information on how to grow them would be appreciate too. I've never done this. It is a first. I am located in the Chesapeake Bay area (western shore) in Maryland. I would appreciate help from anyone. The information I have is to plant in early spring so time is important. Thanks alot. Johnny J

[flyawa]

There are some other discussions on the board about asparagus but I'll throw in my 2 cents worth.

Any reliable seed company can provide either seeds or roots (known as crowns). The advantage of the crowns are they will produce a year earlier. Mine came from crowns and this year is their fourth year. I harvested them pretty hard last year and they seem to be thriving. I took a small harvest the second year and just let them grow the first. Mine are planted in a bed raised about a foot higher than surrounding soil and are planted in well composted cow manure cleaned from the old barn. I cut them off in late fall and mulch them well and uncover in the spring as soon as the danger of frost is gone. The sooner the soil warms up the sooner the new shoots appear. They make for some great munching

[Bill Hudson]

Johnny J,

Try this on for size http://www.farmallcub.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=33869&p=288969&hilit=+asparagus#p268907 some good information and links for further study. Good luch.

Bill

[CapeCodCubs]

What I did was get 3 year old root stock. Dig a wide trench about 1 & 1/2' deep, load it with the best compost you can find filling it half way up. Then placing the root stock about a foot apart in the trench. Cover with a mix of soil and compost.
I also mulch with seaweed. Not much more to it than that. The bed should last for years...some beds in England are 100 years old which is about how long I will live, too. It will take a year to get them started so be patient.
.
By the way Joe's link to NourseFarm is great, they have very high quality products, mostly known for berry stock but you can count on anything they sell. Ask for a catalog...which they will send promptly and you will have alot of great information at hand. Chances are you'll wind up buying berry stock from them because you just couldn't resist the urge. Good luck! Chris

[tnestell]

http://www.asparagus.org/ This may help I have one hill that is very productive. This rest never got enough sun and I will try some new plants this spring. Male plants are more productive than the female. Ted

[Eugene]

Try the University of Maryland extension service. On line - they should have information on asparagus growing in your area. Uni. Maryland extension service should have an office at the county seat - usually co-located with the State and Federal ag offices.

University of Michigan has quite a bit of information on asparagus growing.

[daddydip]

good another thing for the to do list. i saw where it was said that watering wasn't a large problem because the roots went so deep, but how about the new shoots will they keep or do they need what degree of watering? thanks

[Buzzard Wing]

Dig DEEP my son!

It is the best thing you can plant in my opinion.... easy to grow, delicious, very low maintenance.

My bed is about 15 years old and still produces like a champ. MALE plants are the key and in my experience the best source for all kinds of stuff is Miller Nurseries in upstate NY..... EVERYTHING I have ever purchased from them has grown.

Get the super male and PLANT IT DEEP! (they send instructions).

http://www.millernurseries.com/cart.php ... tail&p=198

[SONNY]

Buzzard Wing has the drill down pat for growing the stuff!!!!---I cant add anything else to it, ---just ahmen bro.!!!LOL!---and thats how its done!! It is very good,-- dont harvest the first year, as stated earlier,--lt needs that to get growing good! thanks; sonny

[beaconlight]

Ours is about 20 years old. We planted all male 2 year old too. It is the most plant and don't do anything crop you can find. Don't pick any first year. Very limited second year and sort till you feel guilty second year and then till you feel guilty afterward. I cover with a thin layer of compost in the fall after cutting the aspergras ferns. the ferns can be used in flower arrangements too.

edit to correct some spelling

Dig DEEP my son!

It is the best thing you can plant in my opinion.... easy to grow, delicious, very low maintenance.

My bed is about 15 years old and still produces like a champ. MALE plants are the key and in my experience the best source for all kinds of stuff is Miller Nurseries in upstate NY..... EVERYTHING I have ever purchased from them has grown.

Get the super male and PLANT IT DEEP! (they send instructions).

http://www.millernurseries.com/cart.php ... tail&p=198

[CapeCodCubs]

My mother told me to keep the plants from bolting...too much energy upwards and not into the roots, so don't let the shoots
get 4' tall. Any thoughts? Those shoots bolting are probably females? I had thought the parts of plants that bolt are male runners. No expert here. Just like messing around in the dirt and sometimes find something there to eat. mmmmmmmm

[beaconlight]

The femalews throw seed pods. Real small but seed pods never the less.

Just like Ginko trees, you don't want females.

For humans they are the best thing.

[Buzzard Wing]

I let mine bolt.... in fact I don't bother to cut them back until early spring (with hedge shears). That's all I do after I am done harvesting a bit before the end of June. How easy is that?? I think they look great in the snow.

Occasionally I will throw some compost on them and one year I spread store bought composted manure, to control the weeds. Water is extremely expensive here so very rarely (ok almost never) water them either. Nice thing about a deep root I suppose.

In my opinion there is no single better thing to plant! Mmmmm come on spring.

For female plants, hops may provide the yin in your garden.

[CapeCodCubs]

Occasionally I will throw some compost on them and one year I spread store bought composted manure, to control the weeds.

Larry...I'll have to hook you up with some of the aged sheep manure I have. That stuff is rocket fuel for plants. You'll never want to use anything else after that!!! Chris

[Buzzard Wing]

Sounds like a plan Chris.... seems like I am frozen in place this year.... no Cub work in days. A record for me.