[Lupin lurcher]

Good afternoon.  I have been allocated another plot on the allotment so I have now got room for an asparagus bed.  My husband has made me a 5ft x 5ft square raised bed and I have ordered 10 crowns which will be delivered some time in March.  My question is what type of compost should I fill the bed with. Many thanks.

[Trillium]

Asparagus prefers soil a bit more toward the alkaline side. It loves rotted manure so do add a small handful of lime to the blend to limit acidity. The plants will be here a long time so give it the best you can: compost, rotted manure, BFB meal, a tiny bit of wood ash if you have it, or, a fertilizer with a higher middle number.

When you plant out the crowns, open a large round space for each, clump a handful of sand in the middle so that the top of the sand mound sits about 1-2" below the final soil level. Set the crown right on top of the sand mound, spread out the rest of the roots all around the mound, and gently start filling with soil, pressing carefully as you fill to avoid air pockets. The root should appear to sit like a spider standing up. When all are planted, water well, keep weeded all year, and don't pick anything for another 2 years.

[mrsparkle]

great question!  I would like to know too.  My soil get very heavy and looks like clay about 40cm down so I really feel I need to fill it with a decent compost.  Its only 1.2m by 3m, hopefully i'll get about 6-7 crowns in.

[Trillium]

My soil is clay as well but I couldn't afford to replace the asparagus bed with good stuff. It's great if you can. But if you can't, here's what I did.

First I set up a divider where the asparagus bed would end from the rest of the garden. The roots will travel and I didn't want them damaged when I rotovated the soil next to that area. A wide plank set on end will do, or, in my case, I set in 8" high x 4" wide concrete house blocks which I glued together with landscape caulk so roots couldn't sneak through spaces.

Next I used a fork and dug up the bed well, removing all possible weed roots, rocks, etc. I did this about a spit deep, then plunged the fork tines deeper just to aerate the poor gravelly area below. Once cleared, I mixed in several bags of peat moss, all the compost I could spare, some handfuls of lime, BFB meal, and I also added quite a few bags of topsoil which I got on sales. I ran the rotovator over the whole area to blend and left it to settle after a rain. Then I planted my crowns.

Asparagus isn't overly fussy where it grows just as long as it be allowed to grow. I keep the area well weeded as the crowns are already a bit crowded and I don't want them checked by vigorous weeds. They're all doing nicely and I'll have my first main harvest this year.

[Lupin lurcher]

Many thanks Trillium. Your explanation is very clear and I know no just what to do.  I hope you enjoy yours this year.  Good luck with yours mrs sparkle I guess we will have to be patient but it will be well worth it.

[Hampshire Hog]

I won't add to the good advice re planting but would urge you to make sure you wait for 3 years before significant harvest and watch out for the dreaded beetles. You may be prepared to wait for your asparagus to establish but those little ******s may attack from year one.

Good luck for a fantastic crop in 2014

Cheers HH   

[Jome]

I used much the same method as Trillium, although as I have heavy clay, I double dug the trench, breaking up the subsoil with a fork (but not lifting to the surface) and in filled with manure. Previously the ground was very wet with water laying on the surface, but now it drains really well. My crown are due to be ready this year too, so I'll be interested to hear who gets the first spears smothered in butter! yumm

[Lupin lurcher]

Thank you HH for the advice on the beetle, I have googled the little critter and will be aware to look out for them.  They common one looks very distinctive and I will now recognize it. The spotted one which looks a bit like a ladybird does not do so much harm it only eats the berries. The difficulty is if I don`t see it and it lays its eggs and then pupates in the ground.  I will just have to keep my fingers crossed that I don`t get it.  A couple of my neighbours grow it and have never mentioned  that they have had any problems. Once again thank you.
Thank you Jome I will take your advice and treat the sub ground as you suggested. Enjoy them. mmmmmm 

[mrsparkle]

What is BFB?

[DD.]

Blood, fish & bone.

[Goosegirl]

If you can get hold of some sharp sand (not builder's sand) or grit, I wouyld add it to the bottom layer as you fork it and also some to the rest of the soil when you replace it. They are going to be there for a long time and your soil could get re-compacted again in the next few years after digging. I am going to pick my first harvest this year after waiting patiently for 2 seasons - served with butter and / or Hollandaise sauce ....mmmmm..!!! 

[mrsparkle]

I'm getting paranoid about stones and perennial weeds now.

I've just double dug my trench and the soil down there is very orangey, send coloured really.  It's also full of stones about 1cm in diameter. I also keeps finding what look like knobly thistle roots.  I've re dug the bottom layer and each time I do so I find more.  It's a nightmare! 

So, my question... is there a point where I just stop checking the soil and assume that I can't get everything out of the soil? 

Also, as the soil looks so orangey yellow I assume it is lacking any nutrients.  Should I mix manure in to 2 spits depth as well as bfb ti ensure rich soil?

If perennials do start to grow through after I've planted my crowns can't I weed killer them?

[Kristen]

So, my question... is there a point where I just stop checking the soil and assume that I can't get everything out of the soil? 

Now!

Also, as the soil looks so orangey yellow I assume it is lacking any nutrients.  Should I mix manure in to 2 spits depth as well as bfb ti ensure rich soil?

I would just lay some manure on top of the bottom-spit, or work it in if you can break the soil up (mine is clay, I can turn the second spit, but not really incorporate anything into it). Mostly what you are doing is to improve drainage, add air, and thus make it easy for roots to get down there. Over the next 20 years the roots will have to do the work ...

If perennials do start to grow through after I've planted my crowns can't I weed killer them?

Yes, although just pulling their tops off every week will kill them off - over time, and maybe not immediately.

[mrsparkle]

Thanks for the advice. I've mixed in plenty of manure and BFB and refilled the trench.

ill leave it to settle and plant my crowns in about 4 or 5 weeks.

[Jome]

I have canadian thistle all over my plot and their roots are in the sublayer of clay and will throw up shoots for a few years but I think the other poster (sorry can't check name) is right and they will weaken and die eventually. Last year I hand weeded around the asparagus, and they appear fine, so long as you don' t let the thistles get too big they should be ok. I personally wouldn't use weedkiller on the thistles as they appear as you may risk getting some on the asparagus crowns and killing them too