Asparagus

[RainyP]

I want to make an asparagus bed in my garden. I have read lots of advice, most of it contradictory.

Have any of you done this and if so would you mind sharing your experience with me. I am interested in how to prepare the correct soil and what is the best type of asparagus to plant.

Thanks

Lorraine

[solway cropper]

Because asparagus is a permanent planting you need a deeply cultivated and fertile soil devoid of any perennial weeds. Get as much muck into it as you can. If you buy one year old crowns you'll have to wait a couple of years before you can pick any shoots in order to give the plants time to build up some strength.

I tried a permanent bed but decided that the space was better used for a high yielding veg. so now I'm experimenting with growing asparagus from seed and raising in large containers. The plants will be exhausted after a few years but I intend to keep sowing every year to have a constant supply of new plants.

[RainyP]

Thanks for that, I am lucky enough to have space for a permanent bed so I will look at the year old crowns.. which variety did you try?

Lorraine

[vegetable-gardener]

Hi, We put a raised bed full of asparagus a few years ago. We planted 1 year old crowns bought from Marshall Seeds. I went for Asparagus Backlim and Asparagus - Gijnli.

They are both nice varieties. We have very light soil so we added manure and we use a lot of grass clippings. This year was our first proper asparagus picking this year and they produced lots.

I think they are easy to look after in a raised bed because weeds are so much easier to pull out. And weeds are the biggest problem with asparagus because once you let the weeds take hold then that can cause problems because you can't dig them out.

Hope this helps.

[Durgan]

16 May 2008 Making Asparagus Bed 16 May 2008 Making Asparagus Bed

6 August 2008 Asparagus (Millenium) 6 August 2008 Asparagus (Millenium)

http://www.durgan.org/URL/?BJHMJ 18 June 2009 Asparagus (Millennium)

[RainyP]

Thank you very much for that, I had seen those varieties on the marshals site and considered them, its good to know they are as described, I shall place an order now...

Lorraine

[RainyP]

Great pictures thanks Durgan.

Lorraine

[vegetable-gardener]

Great picture of the various asparagus stages.