[plot53b]

Hi All,

On my new plot extension there is an asparagus bed - 4 x 30 foot rows to be exact. I am told there are two rows of male plants and two rows of female plants.

The problem is, this seems to take up a lot of room and asparagus really is low down in the veg we eat frequently (we maybe buy it two or three times per year). I suggested to my neighbours that I was going to dig it up and they think I am mad!!

I have no idea what to do with it, when it crops, or how much I will get. I am just wondering if I am wasting an opportunity not keeping it and taking the time to learn about it - or wasting a big piece if my plot as I have very little interest in asparagus?

[JayG]

There is never any point growing anything you either don't like or growing too much for your requirements.

Male asparagus plants should be more productive than female, but you presumably won't know which is which until much later in the season.

A compromise solution could be to dig up half of all 4 rows to create a new bed for growing something else, and then see what the rest deliver - s*ds law will probably ensure that the male and female plants are in alternate rows, but by then you might have decided that a single 15' row is sufficient for your requirements anyway. 

[New shoot]

You might find asparagus a bit more of interest once you taste homegrown plot53b    It's very different from shop bought.

I'd be dancing with joy to inherit 4 big rows like that, but if it is too much of your plot, then digging up half like JayG suggests is a good compromise 

[GYO Girl]

Maybe you only eat asparagus two or three times a year because it's so bloomin' expensive in the supermarkets!!  I'm the same - don't eat it very often because of the cost, but when I do splash out and buy some we all really enjoy it and wonder why we don't have it more often!

I'm thinking of starting my own asparagus patch but I've read that you can't start cutting it until the third year, and that would mean it would be taking up an awful lot of valuable space for the first two years that I could be using to grow something more instant! 

I'd kill to have an established patch - If you don't want it, can I have yours? 

[JayG]

Didn't think it would be long before a bit of "asparagus envy" reared its little green head! 

Hardly seems relevant when you've got 120' of the stuff, but since plot53b asked the question about yield per plant, the commonest figure I've seen quoted is 15 spears per mature plant per picking season.

I think that's probably about right, although I suspect many will think that's a bit on the low side. 

[New shoot]

Didn't think it would be long before a bit of "asparagus envy" reared its little green head! 

Busted    My plants are a mixture of 3 & 4 years old (2 beds), so 15 was probably the max I got off any plant last year.  My plot neighbour has a very established bed and picks plenty for 2 of them every day in season.  His bed is about 30 foot long and a double row and he recommended me to only pick mine for 6 weeks start to finish, then leave the crowns to make fern and build up for the next year so I follow the asparagus master's advice  

Roasted home grown asparagus with balsamic vinegar ............ drool  I could manage 120' of it no sweat

[Babstreefern]

I have two small plots which are approximately 6 x 8 (4 x 30 seems a bit excessive).  This year, I am dismantling one of them, and using it to grow my onions in.  I absolutely love asparagus, but at the end of it, you only get 6 weeks of them before you just let them grow.  As long as I have enough for a few meals and keep some back for freezing until Christmas Day, thats enough for me

[Trillium]

The asparagus should be popping out very soon, plot 53b. Why don't you wait a bit and eat some before deciding what to do?

As suggested, you just might enjoy eating homegrown and find you'll eat it more often.

If indeed, it's far more than you want, then perhaps get rid of the female rows since they'll set seeds and create still more plants you don't want. Male plants will just keep 'body building'  I'm sure there are a lot of fellow plotters who'd love to relieve you of unwanted plants - just be sure to dig out a big enough rootball for most of the roots (and perhaps have the takers give you some of their soil to fill the holes).

[carlrmj]

Hi Plot53b

I was wondering if you didn't want some of your asparagus,that I could take them off you

hands,if that wasn't being too cheeky.

My plot is in rugby too

Thanks Carl 

[Salmo]

I'm thinking of starting my own asparagus patch but I've read that you can't start cutting it until the third year, and that would mean it would be taking up an awful lot of valuable space for the first two years that I could be using to grow something more instant! 

I'd kill to have an established patch - If you don't want it, can I have yours? 

If you plant one of the Dutch hybrid varieties such as Gijnlim this Spring you can cut for 3 weeks next Spring and the full season (April until longest day 21st June) after that. See http://www.asparagus-in-kent.co.uk/index.html

[plot53b]

Thanks all for the advice. I spent the day at the plot yesterday (mainly digging ), but I did have time to measure up and have decided we can manage without the space and to see what happens with it this season and like some have suggested - have a taste of home grown!

Apologies to carlrmj - if anything changes, I will drop you a line!

[Wombat]

Assuming the plants are 18 ins apart you will have around 80 plants, at 15 spears per plant you will have 1200 spears over a 2 month season.  That's a lot of asparagus!  You will be very popular with your plot neighbours.

[themagicaltoad1]

We don't eat asparagus at all, we grow it for the ferns to put in with flowers in the house.

[sunshineband]

We don't eat asparagus at all, we grow it for the ferns to put in with flowers in the house.

 

Each to their own I suppose