[Jamboian]

Hello veggiemates, We have asparagus from seed in the greenhouse (2 from 12 seeds) I know it is a long term thing but, what do I do with the seeedlings now? they are about 75mm tall, they are in 50mm modules, what now? Thanks for any help. Ian

[Aunt Sally]

I'm doing just the same.  My seedlings are now just over a year old and are in 5 inch pots.  I'm going to make a bed for them on the allotment and plant them out in April.

John has a good information page  HERE

[DD.]

This how I did it, working blind as it was done before the forum existed, but I posted the method last year. It's probably not the recommended way!

It may not help your planned way of doing it, but this is what I did.

40 seeds, (sponged off a fellow plot holder), in modules in seed tray inserts. Cold greenhouse, April. 39 Germinated.

Potted on when the plants were about 3" high and put outside on the driveway.

In late summer when I realised they had rooted through the tarmac, they got planted into the current bed.

Had loads of asparagus for the last 6 years or so.

[New shoot]

I'm doing just the same.  My seedlings are now just over a year old and are in 5 inch pots.  I'm going to make a bed for them on the allotment and plant them out in April.

Do you mean next April Auntie  I'm assuming 2 year old plants will be very sturdy when they go out and will establish well.

I've grown from seed before and planted out after a year and kept 5 out of 6.  I bought some crowns this year - reduced end of season ones - and have put them in 2L pots as I was not sure they were still alive.  They have sprouted and I'm wondering whether to plant now or grow them in the pots for a year and plant next spring 

[Jamboian]

thanks auntie and dave! does that mean that after I repot them I have to keep them in the greenhouse for a year?

P.s thanks to everyone on the forum (and the site) our greenhouse and plot are both looking superb, couldn't have done so well so quickly without all your help. Thanks again, Ian

P.p.s might even post a photie or two soon. Be of good cheer

[DD.]

Mine were sown in the spring & planted out in the summer. Probably not by the book, but it worked!

[Kristen]

I sowed in the Spring, pricked out to 3" pots, kept them in the greenhouse during the Summer (which I reckon brought them on faster), potted on ... until they were in 2L pots. By mid-to-late Summer they were stood outside.

Left the pots outside for the Winter (was a bit worried if the cold would upset them, but another forum member said they had done that, and mine were indeed fine - that was Winter 2009/10 which was pretty cold here).

Following Spring I planted them out (earlier than you would do for purchased crowns, as they start sprouting when the Spring weather arrives).  I took them out of the 2L pots, unwound the roots and arranged them in spider-shaped fashion on a handful of sand each. I put some netting over them because something started eating the spears - Pheasants perhaps?

That was last Spring. I haven't harvested this year, but their growth is strong - probably 8 - 10 stalks per plant. Expecting to take a few spears next year.

With the benefit of hindsight I would have sown all F1 Male seed. Half mine are F1 Male, the other is Martha Washington (M + F). I don't see it as that great a problem, but I reckon that the females will self seed and thus create a bit of a weeding problem.

My bed would not have been ready the first year, so I didn't really lose any time growing from seed.

[DD.]

Having grown from donated seed of a fellow allotmenteer's plant, some of mine are female.

I don't get very many self sown plants and one hoe sees them off.

[aqua]

this thread has been very useful