[alexroyall85]

Hi all
was just thinking about things to grow next year and thought of some asparagus.
Does anyone know of any articles on this. I have loads of room so this is not a problem.

cheers
alex

[Goosegirl]

If you look at the Home page and click on Articles and Advice, you will see a list on the right-hand side and you can search asparagus from there (I didn't try it but think it's on there).

[andy dewar]

Hi when i was planning my bed i went on youtube and found a couple of very useful  on there give them a try  cheers Andy

[alexroyall85]

Thanks all

[Yorkie]

Bear in mind that if you plant some next year, you're not going to get crops for about 3 years (you need to let the plant establish first) ... well worth the wait but not instant.

[Beekissed]

I'm going to plant asparagus this year also and can't wait to see how it grows here.  I'd like to plant some roots but also would like to plant some by seed. 

[New shoot]

You have to add a year onto the period before you can harvest if you grow from seed, but its easy and cheap if you want lots of plants.

I have a mix of plants I grew from seed and bought roots, luckily now all mature.  Its only a small bed and therefore we don't get a massive crop, but we look forward to it every year.

Mine are in a raised bed to ensure good drainage.  I live near the river and ground water levels can be high.  It gets a good top dressing of farmyard manure each other year and a few handfulls of pelleted chicken manure in any case over the growing season and that's about it.

If you have the room, its great to have.  Its one of those crops that tastes totally different from shop bought 

 

[sunshineband]

I need to move mine: it is six years old and some crowns are quite large.

I had thought of getting this done as soon as possible as long as the ground is not frozen. The ground is heavy clay so I have dug in composted bark and will be adding horticultural grit and top dressing with manure around the crowns.

Does anyone have any tips please? I'd hate to lose them

[Nikkithefoot]

I understand you can move them, but it is a bit of a risk with older plants. I would make sure the new ground is thoroughly prepared with lots of compost, Dig the crowns carefully. If you can take a large rootball with them then it should minimise breakage of the feeder roots. Moving them sooner rather than later, subject to the soil not being frozen, I guess should be better, although they don't recommend new crowns are planted until April. In any case way I wouldn't crop them this year.

[Kristen]

I'm going to plant asparagus this year also and can't wait to see how it grows here.  I'd like to plant some roots but also would like to plant some by seed.

I grew all mine from seed as my bed was not ready in Year 1, and by Year 2 (when it was) my seedlings were much the same as Crowns would be, except they had only cost me a £quid in the Autumn Seed Sales

I recommend only growing Male varieties (Female ones self-seed which is an additional chore in keeping the bed weed-free), and if I was doing it again I would choose, say, three varieties to spread the season from Early through Mid to late.

Make sure you have enough crowns / plants to be able to harvest enough for a meal.  We have 60 crowns which is masses - but by the time we've taken some to friends, and had a few folk round for dinner, its "about right" for us.

[Kristen]

I need to move mine: it is six years old and some crowns are quite large.

I had thought of getting this done as soon as possible as long as the ground is not frozen. The ground is heavy clay so I have dug in composted bark and will be adding horticultural grit and top dressing with manure around the crowns.

Does anyone have any tips please? I'd hate to lose them

I've read mixed views ... such that if I had to do it I think I would replant fresh ones, and maintain the old bed for a further could of years whilst the youngsters were getting to maturity.