Re: Baby Asparagus 2015

**sanderson** 4/5/2015, 9:21 pm

Asparagus in Hawaii! Who'd a thunk it?

CapeCoddess 4/6/2015, 11:11 am

quiltbea wrote:Well, I had another convert today. A 7-yr old who would never eat asparagus tried mine today at Easter dinner and lo and behold, he had seconds. Loved them.

Mine aren't up yet. Oh, are yours frozen from last year? Do you blanch them before freezing?

CC

quiltbea 4/6/2015, 1:37 pm

Oh CapeC.....If only. No, mine were store bought so I wasn't as pleased with them. And the stem ends were a bit tough, unlike homegrown.
In fact, my family can't wait for ours to start growing again. No, I never have enuf to blanch and freeze. We eat them as fast as they grow in our garden.

Cajun Cappy 4/6/2015, 2:11 pm

Over half of our picked asparagus do not make it into the house. We pass by and pick them and munch on tehm while looking at every thing else Cool

**llama momma** 4/6/2015, 4:49 pm

This article says you can plant twice as much asparagus and also harvest through the summer into Fall. Has anyone done this?
http://yourorganicgardeningblog.com/growing-asparagus-tips-and-tricks/

quiltbea 4/6/2015, 11:21 pm

The 2nd spring I harvested for about 3 weeks, only those that reached pencil size, and then let the rest grow wild. I don't clean up the bed for the winters.
3rd spring they were more abundant and I picked them pencil-size and up for about 4-5 wks only, after which I again let the greenery take hold for fall and winter.
4th spring and forever now, I pick as long as they keep coming up.
In the fall I let them get bushy and overwinter and not clear up the old stuff til early spring. Then I add compost to the bed and wait for the new growth.

**kauairosina** 4/6/2015, 11:50 pm

great link. Yes, a friend of ours plants a long row and harvests some and then lets that grow. I have never known if I'm supposed to wait until everything dies down but I'm not going to try that any more because it just keeps on growing. I'm going to cut half the bed like he says and start to harvest and then cut the other half later. Great idea.

quiltbea 4/7/2015, 12:13 am

I guess Hawaii and Maine are two very different climes so letting mine go in the fall and winter really means it stops growing and dies down pretty much on its own.

**llama momma** 4/10/2015, 11:38 am

Exactly one week ago, 3 spears broke the surface and shared a picture. Today, a week later there are 70 and I hope many more to come. I was reading and if its true...when spears lean over instead of growing straight up, it means there was insect damage on one side and the spear will lean away from the damaged side. Hmm, can anyone verify this tidbit? Here is a photo of mostly upright babies -- at least from this angle Smile

. These are mostly Purple Passion with some Jersey Giants.
Baby Asparagus 2015 - Page 2 Unname15

**donnainzone5** 4/10/2015, 11:41 am

Looking good!

I've been covering my asparagus nightly. So far, three or four new ones have dared poke their darling little heads up.

**llama momma** 4/10/2015, 12:03 pm

That's great!
My slight zone difference probably makes a difference. It has rained a lot recently and many warm days in the 60's.

**Turan** 4/10/2015, 2:14 pm

I just dug over my asparagus patch chasing the odd grass root and any dandelion that thought it was safe there. I got pretty aggressive in there, no sign of asparagus shoots so I figured they were safe down below and now was the moment to attack.

In the part with no strawberries I am sprinkling some knee high sweet peas. There is a wood chip mulch over the bed and I think the pea seeds can sift into that and sprout. Last year I sprinkled poppy seeds and few managed to get through the chips. What did do well was self seeded cilantro with its bigger seeds. Sooooo..... I assume there will be cilantro in there and orach and hopefully sweet peas along with the asparagus. Even if we get few spears to eat the fronds will look lovely with the sweet peas.

CapeCoddess 4/10/2015, 3:46 pm

llama momma wrote:Exactly one week ago, 3 spears broke the surface and shared a picture. Today, a week later there are 70 and I hope many more to come. I was reading and if its true...when spears lean over instead of growing straight up, it means there was insect damage on one side and the spear will lean away from the damaged side. Hmm, can anyone verify this tidbit? Here is a photo of mostly upright babies -- at least from this angle . These are mostly Purple Passion with some Jersey Giants.

So pretty! White and purple. Do you have any green ones?
CC

**llama momma** 4/10/2015, 4:32 pm

CapeC
I planted Purple Passion and Jersey Giants. The purple ones break the surface looking pink, then turned purple. The 'white' looking ones I believe popped up so fast in the cloudy, rainy stretch of warm weather the past couple days. So I guess they are the jersey giants that will turn green since the skies have cleared and its very sunny.
The commercial white variety sold in stores I've read are simply denied sunlight. I'd rather have the nutritional benefit of the sun beating on them.
If I've said anything that someone else can correct, please speak up, I'd love to learn more! I hope my white ones are not weird mutants cyclops

**donnainzone5** 4/10/2015, 4:41 pm

As long as they're edible mutants, don't fret!

**llama momma** 4/10/2015, 5:47 pm

You're right Smile

Windmere 4/10/2015, 6:26 pm

llama momma, your asparagus looks amazing! Nice!

Well, you've inspired me to post a current picture of my asparagus box. I planted two year old crowns in fall... and they overwintered. We've tasted just two spears because I thought I should let the box of them get a year older before heavy harvest.

Baby Asparagus 2015 - Page 2 Aspara10

Those fronds are about four feet tall and climbing... is that what it's supposed to do I wonder? I heard that asparagus "ferns" are also sold as a houseplant.

**donnainzone5** 4/10/2015, 7:02 pm

Yes, asparagus will grow tall and produce fern-like foliage.

It's my understanding that it's best not to harvest much, if any, until next year. Yours have been in the ground only six months or so. When you do so, cut (at first) only the ones at least the diameter of a pencil.

Windmere 4/10/2015, 7:18 pm

Thanks Donna. Some spears have been thicker than black board chalk. However, I'm going to let it ride and wait till next year to start harvesting at all.

**donnainzone5** 4/10/2015, 7:23 pm

SIX stalks coming up as of this evening!

**llama momma** 4/10/2015, 9:09 pm

Congratulations, it won't be long! hungry

NanSFG 4/11/2015, 2:43 pm

Windmere wrote:llama momma, your asparagus looks amazing! Nice!

Well, you've inspired me to post a current picture of my asparagus box. I planted two year old crowns in fall... and they overwintered. We've tasted just two spears because I thought I should let the box of them get a year older before heavy harvest.

Those fronds are about four feet tall and climbing... is that what it's supposed to do I wonder? I heard that asparagus "ferns" are also sold as a houseplant.

What size is your box, and how deep? I have a pot 17" in diameter. Would this be acceptable for asparagus? I grew up near a field of asparagus and we loved to chase each other the tall "ferns".

Windmere 4/11/2015, 4:34 pm

These have a reservoir of water at the bottom (self watering). The water is placed in black tube in corner and when it's full it has an overflow slot at the bottom. These are called "EarthBoxes."

2 ft long by 1 ft. Depth (not including reservoir) is about 8 inches. I called Earthbox company and they told me I could put 8 crowns in the box (which is what I did).

I'm sorry, I don't know enough to advise you on your 17 inch pot, but someone might chime in.

**llama momma** 4/11/2015, 7:42 pm

Windmere
I searched around on google and it seems there is a great deal of root growth up to 1 foot deep and spreading horizontally too. I got a sense that some roots stay fairly shallow and others need to go deep a couple to a few feet deep. Reports out of a university NC? said roots go as deep as 5 to 10 feet. Think it was also North Carolina Univ. that said you can put asparagus in a container but it would be difficult to get a long lifespan out of it. Wish I had collected all the sites I went to but I'm notorious for jumping around the net then forgetting where I was.... Embarassed

anyway you get the idea you can look it up like I did. For longevity of the crowns it seems the best place is in the soil. Mel's advice is to put it in a Sq ft. garden box, four crowns to a square. Dedicate an entire box for it. That's what I've done.

quiltbea 4/11/2015, 7:52 pm

Windmere......I checked my facts again thru google, such as Univ of Maine, etc and they suggest planting 1- or 2-yr old crowns 6-8" deep, and a foot apart and you will have asparagus for the next 25 years.
I think your source was very optimistic to think that 8 crowns in an Earthbox would work, but you can experiment and let us know if it indeed does work for you.
I'm even wondering if those that are planting 4 per square in their raised beds are getting good results in 5 or 6 years. Seems very crowded to me.
I hope everyone keeps us posted. Mine are into their 4th year this year and planted as suggested in the 1st paragraph above. Room to spread and grow.

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