Re: Asparagus

**llama momma** 4/28/2013, 8:25 am

Ooh Turan, that sounds sooo good, a bed with strawberries and asparagus, it just doesn't get any better Smile

Bnoles, the bottom 6 inches of the 1 ft tall bed is very old llama beans crushed down into a half foot solid mass, I'm hoping it will attract native worms like crazy. I don't think asparagus has a high nitrogen need? so here's hoping the beans' old age will provide a little nutrition and not overwhem the situation. This is a huge gamble since I did the same crushed-bean thing to 4 other beds this spring... The actual compost portion is mel's mix taken from another existing bed and fortified with last years sifted compost that was stored in the garage. In the end, Yes, lots of llama beans happening around here!

jmsieglaff 4/30/2013, 9:49 pm

Whoo hoo!! They're popping up! Thanks to a few days in the 70s and today in the 80s!

Asparagus - Page 6 Aspara10

quiltbea 5/1/2013, 9:48 am

Hey jmsie......Mine, too, but temps here never hovered above 65F so far. One nite they weren't there and the next morning I found them 3-4" tall.
Asparagus - Page 6 04-30-11

This is my 3rd spring so I'll be cutting the ones that are pencil-sized for about 2-4 weeks this season. Next year should be unlimited harvesting. They seem to grow a few inches every day and when they are about 8" I'll be harvesting.

**llama momma** 5/1/2013, 4:08 pm

Way to go Jmsieglaff!!

24 out of 26 crowns came up over the past 13 days from planting. A few started showing at day 9. These were purchased through mail order. Today several of these are 4,5, and 6 inches tall. Additional 12 plants from Lowe's... have been in the ground 10 days and show no signs of sprouting.

**llama momma** 5/1/2013, 8:38 pm

QB congrats on being able to harvest this year
rock on

**Turan** 5/2/2013, 1:30 pm

Just picked 6 shoots from the old patch among the peonies. DH and I just nibbled them straight from the garden. Laughing

No sign yet of the planted 2 weeks ago crowns yet. Hopefully soon.

jmsieglaff 5/2/2013, 3:00 pm

Yeah I'm pumped to fire up the grill and throw some asparagus on soon! I feel bad for my more northern fellow Wisconsinites--Rice Lake set the state all-time May single storm snowfall record--17.0" and counting.

**llama momma** 5/2/2013, 6:50 pm

Turan wrote:Just picked 6 shoots from the old patch among the peonies. DH and I just nibbled them straight from the garden.

No sign yet of the planted 2 weeks ago crowns yet. Hopefully soon.

Straight from the garden yum, that's what I want to do one day.

quiltbea 5/3/2013, 4:58 pm

I harvested my very first asparagus, at least pencil-sized, 8 of them, from the garden today.
Asparagus - Page 6 05-03-10

There were others there but not 8" tall yet. Some of these are 10". I told you they grow inches a day. I brought out my ruler.

bnoles 5/3/2013, 5:26 pm

QB.... you have no idea how envious I am. Those are some special morsels you got there.

**donnainzone5** 5/3/2013, 8:02 pm

Enough for a side dish!

How I miss my Southern California Strawberry/Asparagus bed! However, things will be much better here, with more sunlight. Patience, patience.

**llama momma** 5/4/2013, 4:03 am

quiltbea wrote:I harvested my very first asparagus, at least pencil-sized, 8 of them, from the garden today.

There were others there but not 8" tall yet. Some of these are 10". I told you they grow inches a day. I brought out my ruler.

Congratulations! They are expensive in the stores and you've got Perfect fresh pickings right outside your door. Love it.

**llama momma** 5/9/2013, 9:23 am

Looks like brand new crowns from a farm purchase all came up. Some of those are close to two feet tall. Still waiting for a few crowns from Lowes to pop up. Though I'm quickly losing hope of ever seeing them... Please excuse the crummy phone photo
Asparagus - Page 6 Aspara10

bnoles 5/9/2013, 9:34 am

llama momma wrote:Looks like brand new crowns from a farm purchase all came up. Some of those are close to two feet tall. Still waiting for a few crowns from Lowes to pop up. Though I'm quickly losing hope of ever seeing them... Please excuse the crummy phone photo

And now the long wait until dinner sawing logs

**llama momma** 5/9/2013, 9:39 am

So true and think I've been "broken in" from the strawberry wait from last year. I'm ok with this!

cdedriver 5/9/2013, 10:54 am

So - here's a question. I have two year old crowns that all came up with "real" looking asparagus. As I'd been told, no harvesting. So now they're all frond-y and tall. I read on here to cut the top 6" off, so that's what I did. So....now what do I do? Do they die off? Get brown? Do I cut them? :scratch:

quiltbea 5/9/2013, 11:25 am

cdedriver.......I never heard about cutting off 6" off the tops. I just leave them.
In any case, now leave them alone to brown and die in the winter. You'll have a frothy forest right into fall. Cut the yellowed brown stalks down to the ground before winter or let them die off on their own. If there are any left in spring, just cut them off and remove from the bed.
All that frothy stuff puts energy into the roots to grow bigger crops next year.

**Turan** 5/10/2013, 1:27 pm

I got anxious about my new asparagus bed. It has been 3 weeks now and no sign of sprouting. So I gently dug around and found a 1 inch sprout Very Happy

Only 1 more inch to go and it will be up!
Practicing patience... tongue

cdedriver 5/11/2013, 9:16 pm

Quiltbee - thanks! I got the 6" thing from somewhere on this forum....just can't remember where! Doesn't appear tp have done hem any harm. I appreciate the answer...I'll just enjoy their frothiness!

**llama momma** 5/11/2013, 11:37 pm

Turan wrote:I got anxious about my new asparagus bed. It has been 3 weeks now and no sign of sprouting. So I gently dug around and found a 1 inch sprout Only 1 more inch to go and it will be up!
Practicing patience...

You're almost there!!!
alrighta

**donnainzone5** 5/12/2013, 12:27 pm

It's been 2.5 weeks since I planted my asparagus, and there are no signs of life yet!

Either I waited too long to plant them (although they did soak in water in the meantime), or perhaps I planted them too shallowly.

Thoughts?

quiltbea 5/12/2013, 1:04 pm

I planted mine on 4-29 in 2011 and they didn't sprout til 5-13, some very thin stalks that seemed to pop out overnite. Be a bit more patient.
Asparagus - Page 6 05-13-10

Don't forget, we were having warm days that April, in the 60s already. This spring has been darn cold in most places which hinders growth.

**Turan** 5/12/2013, 11:14 pm

3 weeks after planting the crowns and I have a couple up. Patience.....

jmsieglaff 5/13/2013, 9:51 pm

Slowly been harvesting spears over a week or so and have been putting them into the fridge in a glass of water. Tossed them in some olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic and grilled them up. Absolutely delicious!

**donnainzone5** 5/16/2013, 5:31 pm

Three weeks now--and no asparagus shoots!

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