[bigginge]

Is it too late to plant Asparagus crowns? I intended to do it earlier but have been ill.

[BabbyAnn]

If you don't plant them it'll be too late, so you've got nothing to lose by planting them now    Something similar happened to me when I got some crowns (I had an accident and injured my leg so unable to do any digging for several months)   I planted them in deep pots and looked after them at home on the patio that year before they went out on the prepared bed the following year, and they are none the worse for it.

[Salmo]

You can order them from suppliers up until about mid May. They dig them in March and hold them in a chiller until dispatch.

The dried up specimens from most garden centres mostly grow but can fail.

[bigginge]

Thanks for the advice. I've ordered a dozen crowns and will prepare the bed over the next few days so they can go straight in. Fingers crossed.
BabbyAnn, I intended to do it last year but broke my leg in mid March, this year I had a really bad chest infection. Perhaps it's a sign.

[Yorkie]

I'd make sure you water the soil properly before planting them (probably the day before so that it's not just mud), as well as lots of water to get them established afterwards.  It's been so dry that the ground won't have any moisture at the levels at which you'll be planting the crowns.

[bigginge]

Will do. Am hoping to spend all day Friday down there, doesn't seem to be anything else going on that day.