[Happyreaper]

Hiya this is my first post on this site, having just found it.  I have bought some asparagus and was wondering if anyone can give me any tips on growing it. I know its best to leave crop for the first year but thats about as much as I know.

Thankyou

[craggy]

HI,I,m new here too,but if you click on the growing help section,there is a guide there.good luck,will be cutting mine for the first time this spring

[Happyreaper]

Thanks for the pointer. Hope they crop well and taste even better.

[Jamie Butterworth]

Firstly hello and welcome to the site.  

Asparagus is best grown in sandy loamy soil, makesure that before you plant them that you dont let the roots dry out, keep them moist otherwise they will start to grow and eventually die, dont cut until the harvest a crop until the third year of pplanting. After June do not harvest any shoots as this is when the plant matures so it is best to water regulary with a liquid fertilizer. The only main pest for asparagus is the asparagus beetle which can cause svere damage to the stalk and leaves, unfortunalty the best method is to simply pick these off by hand and let there numbers decrease. Hope that this was of some help  

[Happyreaper]

Thankyou, that was a lot of help. As I know nothing at all about them.  I am on here secretly, so that I can grow better veg than my hubby. 

[mr Isaccs]

I used to live in the Worcestershire area and they have a rule that the asparagus should only be picked between 23 April - 23 June, as J B says after that they need to re-focus their energy

[DD.]

The usual rule of thumb is to stop cutting on the longest day, nearly the same as the previous post, but as for starting cutting, surely that's when the first spear is ready to cut? If they appear before then, you not going to let them grow - or are you?

[JayG]

I have at least 3 different varieties in my asparagus bed which crop at different rates and times, also the weather is different from one year to the next.

DD is right (getting sick of saying that; I'll get him one day even if it's only for a typo!  ); you obviously start cutting spears as soon as they appear; when you stop should be determined as much by observing the declining rate and vigour of the spears as the calendar.

What you don't want to find is that you have cut the last spear off a completely knackered plant which therefore hasn't got the strength to produce any more to grow on into ferns.

Err on the side of caution when it comes to crowns less than five years old, because after all the treatment you are dishing out to them would be a good way or getting rid of many persistent weeds!

[Happyreaper]

  Thankyou all very much for your advice. Just chopping at the bit to get started now. No snow for us this morning up here in the North East of England but a we have woken up to a heavy frost.

 

[savbo]

I was impressed by John's asparagus growing guide which is the only site I've seen that recognises that many of us won't be able to resist a spear or three in the first year...

[Pompey Spud]

Best advice is not to cut any at all until the 3rd year if you want really strong vigorous crowns. According to an article in KW when they chatted to a farmer in Norfolk.

My bed will be in its 2nd year from planting last March 09. I wont be cutting.

[Trebor]

I was talking about this the other day with one of the more experienced plot holders at my site. He reckons that they need a feed of salt in the next month or so. Personally not so sure and think they tolerate salt (given they originated by the sea) rather than need it – anybody got a thought on this?

Also, believe a general feed and mulch in the next few weeks will help – can’t say if this is so necessary in year 1 but I did it yesterday on 1 year old plants.

[Pompey Spud]

You are right in that wild asparagus originates from sea shore habitats.

They can withstand salt but the weeds can't. Salt kills the weeds.

It also stops a fungus growing (purple something) which can kill the crown.

Most Asparagus farms use salt.

It's best to mulch in winter with rotted manure etc. Make sure the manure is not in contact with old stems as it can rot them.

Top dress with growmore or equivalent in the few weeks before the first stems appear.

Top dress again when ferns have been cut in Autumn.

[beanqueen]

Planted mine march 08...resisted the temptation last yeaar so fingers crossed they'll have survived the winter

[Trillium]

I can see why the plot neighbour uses the salt, an old habit that won't die, but I don't feel salt is good for the soil in general. Its a whole lot safer for everyone if you just keep the area weeded, preferably by hand so the shallow roots of asparagus doesn't have to compete. Few of us will grow so much asparagus that hand weeding is an impossible task.