[flowerpower]

I got a little enthusiastic and purchased 25 x 1yr old crowns from Moles seeds which arrived today. Well, they seemed such good value!!! According to what I have read here, I can only fit in about 12 or 13 of them in a bed 5m x 1.2m. If I stagger the planting, could I fit more crowns in?

[DD.]

Having converted to proper measurements, I make it about 16 1/2 x 4 feet.

With spacing of 18" between the crowns, you can get 2 rows of 10 in there. Personally I'd be tempted to close the 18" spacing and squeeze in 12 to a row & use all your crowns!

[flowerpower]

Thank you DD. Do you think that cramming them in will cramp their ability to shoot spears? I know so little about asparagus!

[DD.]

You only need to narrow the spacing a bit. I think with getting those extra 4 in you'll gain more than you lose.

[jjherts]

Thank you DD. Do you think that cramming them in will cramp their ability to shoot spears? I know so little about asparagus!

Cram them in with loads of fertilizer.  But don't expect anything worth eating until 2012.  They take about three years to become harvestable even with one year old crowns.