[Norfolkgrey]

Hi,

I am planning on doing a new asparagus bed end of the year/ beginning of next and wondered where people tend to buy there crowns from or where they would recommend. I know quality can vary so much and I would rather get it right.

Thanks in advance 

[sunshineband]

I bought my original ones from Thompson & Morgan as I had a gift voucher. They have done well over the years.

I would think any of the main mail order nurseries would be fine, but personally would avoid those hanging in plastic bags in garden centres on the whole, as they always look very dried out.

[Annen]

Have you looked at growing them from seed? In another thread http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=118679.15 Kristen  grew his own successfully,  and my neighbour grew his from seed so I don't think it is difficult, but probably takes another year before you can cut any spears.https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?PID=310
I think I would have a go at this if I didn't already have some (although nothing has come up yet, so I may not have any)

[Norfolkgrey]

Have you looked at growing them from seed? In another thread http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=118679.15 Kristen  grew his own successfully,  and my neighbour grew his from seed so I don't think it is difficult, but probably takes another year before you can cut any spears.https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?PID=310
I think I would have a go at this if I didn't already have some (although nothing has come up yet, so I may not have any)

My last asparagus bed was a bit of an allsorts bed that was made up of odd crowns I picked up over the years on the cheap and seeds I had grown but then led to male and female plants. Then when I moved only about half appeared and now it is swamped with weeds and beyond recovering. I just had in mind of this time round doing a one hit wonder with decent plants. When I have grown from seed I only had a few each time that seemed to make it past the year mark. I have a year though to change my mine how to do it 

[caroline800]

bought mine last year from here http://www.agradeasparagus.co.uk but looks like their order deadline for this year has already passed   

and yes, they really are that big when they arrive! 

[boddy]

I was out on a home visit at work yesterday and my patients neighbour had lots of plants in pots ready to go in. Looked as if they were from a local garden centre. Amongst them was a pot of 5 asparagus crowns and you could see the spears beginning to grow, looked like a decent size to (edible once grown). I've never seen them sold like this, has anyone else? I noted the price too it was £5.99 which seemed reasonable for the pot of 5 when you could potentially pant and harvest them in the same season.

[Lardman]

Bought mine from a place in kent. http://www.asparagus-in-kent.co.uk/history/ What they delivered was far better than anything I'd seen locally.

[Kristen]

you could potentially pant and harvest them in the same season.

The plant needs to build up a root system for a couple of years before you start harvesting ... otherwise it won't have enough stored energy to survive the picking and will shut-up-shop

[Kristen]

[growing from seed] probably takes another year before you can cut any spears.

That was what I found, however my plot was not ready in Year One so I lost no time anyway, in that sense.

I am of the opinion that growing your own (seed sown and potted on to be raised in, say, 2L pots) means that you have a much better plant to plant out in Spring of Year Two than a crown.  The plant comes out of the pots, you straighten out the roots, and away it goes again, whereas crowns have been lifted, usually cold stored, and there is some reduction in the amount of root that is actually getting planted.

From pictures I have seen of other peoples' year-one plants, grown from Crowns, the foliage on mine seemed to be much more "impressive" so I think they got established better.  I can't say I did anything special - I didn't particularly water, feed or weed them other than "when I had time".

Cheap too! I bought two packets of seed in the 50p-a-packet Autumn sale and from that planted out 60 plants - bit like getting a job-lot from the Poundshop!!

[Norfolkgrey]

[growing from seed] probably takes another year before you can cut any spears.

That was what I found, however my plot was not ready in Year One so I lost no time anyway, in that sense.

I am of the opinion that growing your own (seed sown and potted on to be raised in, say, 2L pots) means that you have a much better plant to plant out in Spring of Year Two than a crown.  The plant comes out of the pots, you straighten out the roots, and away it goes again, whereas crowns have been lifted, usually cold stored, and there is some reduction in the amount of root that is actually getting planted.

From pictures I have seen of other peoples' year-one plants, grown from Crowns, the foliage on mine seemed to be much more "impressive" so I think they got established better.  I can't say I did anything special - I didn't particularly water, feed or weed them other than "when I had time".

Cheap too! I bought two packets of seed in the 50p-a-packet Autumn sale and from that planted out 60 plants - bit like getting a job-lot from the Poundshop!!

When you planted out into your bed how did you do it? I know that sounds a bit daft but did you dig a hole and plant, trench or did you build a mound and plant. Having slept on the idea of seeds I quite like the idea of giving it a proper go and not just doing a few seeds at a time.

Yes, TY Annen and everyone for their help so far.

[Kristen]

When you planted out into your bed how did you do it? I know that sounds a bit daft but did you dig a hole and plant, trench or did you build a mound and plant

Trench, mounds of sand, untangles and straightened out the roots "star shape", covered just a bit, and then back filled the trench fully later in the season (can't remember, but whatever the book said!! might have been after the stems were cut down in the Autumn. There are some pictures and the like on my Blog - they are likely to give you some encouragement as it was a PoP

Having slept on the idea of seeds I quite like the idea of giving it a proper go and not just doing a few seeds at a time.

My regret was not sowing several varieties to give me Early / Mid / Late season "sections" to my Asparagus bed.  I also grew some non-F1 seed and as a consequence I have some female plants - they shed seed and babies come up which I could do without, so I would advise sticking to F1 all-male varieties, and perhaps a range of harvest dates. (I've seen crowns for sale in the Discount Stores this year with names that I have never heard of which harvest so late as to be useless, to my way of thinking! so I would advise perhaps just "Early" and "Mid", but I'm sure you'll figure that bit out!)

Might be worth looking at Moles Seeds for varieties - they tend to be cheaper for "bulk" (don't know how many you want?  I've got about 60 plants, I don't think I would want fewer than that - we have more than we need, of course, but that means I can take them to friends when we visit but when we eat at home we don't have to make do with 1 spear each!!)

[Norfolkgrey]

There are some pictures and the like on my Blog

Ok, your seedlings look fantastic  Have you got an idiot guide on how you got them that good? Ones I have grown in the past have been farty little things 

[3759allen]

i've brought some seed this year, i'm hoping to sow the seeds in pots and and plant out the crowns next year.

i'm pretty sure i'll have far too many for me (fingers crossed). you'll be more than welcome to have some of my crowns, may be arrange a swap or something.

may be better to message me if your interested.

[bazial]

Bought mine from a place in kent. http://www.asparagus-in-kent.co.uk/history/ What they delivered was far better than anything I'd seen locally.

I had mine from here best plants I have seen

           Bazial



Edit to fix quote New shoot

[Kristen]

There are some pictures and the like on my Blog

Ok, your seedlings look fantastic  Have you got an idiot guide on how you got them that good? Ones I have grown in the past have been farty little things 

I don't think I did anything special - but I do raise a lot of plants, so "nothing special" taking that into regard.

Sowed in [small] seed tray

Pricked out (probably directly to 3" pots back then, now I prick out to 1" modules and pot-on to 3" or 9cm/3.5" pots)

Then potted on, when they were ready, to 1L and then 2L pots.

They would have been under glass initially and turfed outdoors "come summer".  They were left outdoors over winter (I checked and folk said they would be fine, even with their pot / rootball frozen solid and that did indeed seem to be the case)

I would have watered them routinely when they were indoors, less so once they were outside (but by then 2L pots they would have coped with some slightly erratic watering).  I would given them a liquid feed when I remembered (nowadays I use slow-release granules when potting on as its a lot less hassle than remembering, and finding the time, to mix up liquid feed every couple of weeks.