The coming of spring and early summer means one thing to vegetable lovers Asparagus time. This hardy vegetable, which is part of the lily family, tastes the best when it’s the freshest.
As food prices rise, and prices of gourmet vegetables along with them, growing your own asparagus provides a fresh alternative. Not only does it taste better, but it also will reduce your food costs.
Asparagus is viewed as a gourmet vegetable in much of North America because it is only grown in limited regions and because the cost associated with large-scale production can be high.
However, for the small planter, expenses are not much higher than growing other vegetables. Also, asparagus is a perennial, so once the patch is established, it will be ready to harvest year after year.
Native to the Mediterranean and eaten by the ancient Egyptians and Greeks, succulent asparagus spears are ready for harvest when most other plants in the vegetable garden are just getting started.
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Asparagus officinalis has been cultivated and enjoyed for thousands of years. According to the Michigan Asparagus Advisory Board, it was domesticated in 200 B.C. by the Macedonians. The Romans were so enamored of it that they dedicated a fleet to deliver it.
It’s thought that the British brought it to the colonies where it found a welcome home. Thomas Jefferson, in addition to being one of America’s greatest statesmen and author of the U.S. Declaration of Independence, was also an avid horticulturist and grew it in his Monticello gardens.
Traditional cultivars of asparagus are a mixture of both male and female. Modern all-male F1 cultivars produce more spears over a longer season, but they tend to be slimmer. The variety ‘Connovers Colossal; has thick mid-green spears of superb flavor. ‘Jersey Knight’ and ‘Gijnlim’ are both reliable F1 hybrids.
Asparagus thrives in full sun, so make sure nothing casts a shadow on the area. Since asparagus ends each season by growing into frilly, fernlike “trees” approximately four to six feet high, make sure the bed is placed where the asparagus won’t shade out other garden plants either. The soil pH in the bed should be between 6.0 and 7.0, and the soil should be well-drained.
A family of four requires about 50 plants and about 250 square feet of land. It is best to designate a separate plot, as it grows so tall that it may shade other vegetables growing nearby.
The plot will be a permanent one, so it is important to prepare properly, first by removing as many perennial weeds from the bed as is possible. Mature asparagus roots form a dense mat of deep roots which makes it very difficult to later remove weeds from the area.
To gain an extra year of growth – and who doesn’t want to eat these tasty vegetables as soon as possible – start your seeds indoors in February. When using purchased seeds or your own saved seeds, pre-sprouting will ensure greater success.
Spread seeds between folds of lightly dampened paper towel, slip into a plastic baggie and seal. Lay the baggie on top of your refrigerator where it’s warm.
Expect germination within 10 to 14 days. Sow your pre-sprouted seeds in 3 1/2 to 4-inch pots and place on a sunny windowsill. Water as needed and fertilize only once, if at all, with a diluted liquid organic fertilizer.
Female plants are the only ones to bear asparagus seeds and they take a considerable amount of energy from the plant to produce new seedlings.
This can really overcrowd your bed if the plants are not given adequate room. The male plants will produce much larger, thicker spears because they are not putting any energy into seeds.
It is always advised to use the very best asparagus seeds or plants that you can find because an asparagus bed of good quality will usually continue to be productive for up to 20 years. Therefore, if you are growing a new bed, choose wisely so that you can be blessed with a premium product for many years to come.
Conveniently, almost all new varieties are resistant to fusarium, rust and are cold weather tolerant.
You will want to plant your asparagus seeds in the spring as soon as you can work the ground. They should be sown into a production bed where they can grow undisturbed for one year.
Young plants will offer a compact bud at the center or crown of the plant with many pencil-sized dangling roots. It is up to you whether you use a young plant or asparagus seeds to start your bed.
There seems to be more adventure and a feeling of accomplishment using the seeds and although you will have to wait a year to reap the benefits, it does offer a wider variety of seeds to choose from and ensures fresh plants.
You may expand your asparagus bed by saving seeds from the female plant. Simply cut the ferny plant top in late fall when the berries are red. Hang the fern to dry then soak the dried berries in water to soften the skins.
Squeeze out the seeds and rinse off the pulp. Dry seeds between paper towels for a day or two then store them in a sealed plastic baggie and refrigerate until ready to sow. To make sure they remain dry, slip in another small piece of paper towel with the stored seeds.
Raising asparagus plants from seed to the first harvest takes 3 years, but for the patient gardener, it’s well worth the wait.
If you choose to use a young plant instead of asparagus seeds, they need to be in a trench that is roughly 15 inches wide and at least six inches deep.
Crowns will need to be spaced around one foot apart with the roots spread out and the crown in an upright position elevated a bit higher than the roots. Place about two inches of soil over the crown and then later, as the plant rises, you may need to add more soil.
Otherwise, if you are taking the patient approach and using asparagus seeds, you can start them growing indoors. Spread them between paper towels that are slightly damp and then place this in a sealing plastic bad.
After closing the bag, lay it in the refrigerator on the top shelf where it is warmest and they should germinate between 10 and 14 days later. Your sprouted seeds can then be sown in four-inch pots on a nice sunny windowsill. You will only need to fertilize once with some type of diluted liquid organic fertilizer and water as needed.
Be sure when transplanting asparagus that your trench is wide and deep enough to accommodate their extensive root system. It is also helpful to add a bit of compost into the trench at the bottom and then mound up a bit on top of the soil.
Plant asparagus in the spring when the soil temperature has reached at least 50 degrees Fahrenheit. For maximum results, sandy, well-drained soil with full sun should be chosen.
You will need:
With a shovel, dig a trench approximately two feet wide and as long as necessary to accommodate your asparagus with twelve to eighteen inches of space between each plant. The trench should be ten to twelve inches deep.
Spread three to four inches of compost in the bottom of the trench. On top of the compost, add a thin layer of a complete fertilizer, such as 10-20-10. If the pH of your soil is less than 6.0, you may also need to add a layer of agricultural lime. Add soil until the trench is loosely filled, then mix these ingredients thoroughly.
Scoop out a hole approximately ten inches deep for each asparagus crown, spacing them twelve to eighteen inches apart. Place an asparagus crown in each hole, spreading any roots out horizontally across the mixture in the trench.
The asparagus crowns should be one to two years old; crowns are available through most reputable seed catalogs. Plant asparagus crowns as soon as possible after their arrival. If necessary, asparagus crowns can be stored in the refrigerator in a plastic bag for no longer than one week.
Fill in the trench and any remaining holes until its top is level with the ground. Avoid placing soil directly on top of the asparagus foliage. Water well around the newly planted asparagus crowns.
Place straw or mulch around the asparagus plants to a depth of two inches. Water daily for the first two weeks, and again anytime the weather is especially dry.
If your asparagus shoots are looking weak or ropey it could be due to insufficient moisture levels. Give them an extra boost of water with a little liquid seaweed added to help strengthen young shoots and failing crops. Remove any visible weeds as these can also cause weakened shoots and damaged young crowns.
Asparagus crowns need water just like any other vegetable. Keeping the soil moist is especially necessary because newly planted crowns must establish good root systems, but you need to take care not to overwater as well. The amount of water the patch needs depends on your region and soil type, so you may want to consult a local grower for more advice.
During the first two years of growth, asparagus should not be harvested or moved from one place to another. Leaving your asparagus alone for a couple of years will allow the roots to strengthen and develop properly; it will also help to produce stronger and healthier crops for many years to come.
Once established, asparagus is a low maintenance crop. It requires little care beyond tilling between rows and harvesting. Also, it withstands drought well.
It’s not recommended to harvest the first year. Instead, the spears that emerge will turn into attractive fern-like plants, eventually developing red ‚” berries”.
Harvest time usually begins in early to mid-spring and goes until early summer. During the season, you’ll harvest daily.
Spears may be taken the following season by either cutting or snapping. Hand-picking is ideal for this vegetable because you want to be careful to pick spears that are the correct height and width and leave those that aren’t mature time to grow.
When you pick the spears, take care to pick low to the ground, but don’t uproot them. You will have several spears that grow from each bundle, and they’ll be ready at different times.
The crowns will yield spears for an average of 2 months beginning each spring. Since they can be picked at intervals ranging from each day to every 5 days, a fresh supply is ready for the table almost continuously during the season.
When harvesting is done for the season, allow the ferns and berries to grow. This process ‚” recharges” the crowns for the next year. Finally, when all the ferns have turned brown, cut them down and spread some compost on the garden.
The main villain in asparagus beds is the asparagus beetle. In winter, both common and spotted asparagus beetles live in old fronds, stalks, and garden trash remaining in the asparagus bed as well as any hollow stems protruding above the soil.
Common asparagus beetles emerge just in time to share the first asparagus harvest with the gardener. About 1/4 inches long, they range in color from metallic blue to black. Their wing covers are decorated with three creamy yellow rectangles or spots with reddish margins.
Beetles lay their eggs on the edge of asparagus fronds and the tips of the spears. Eggs hatch after about a week into light gray or green larvae with blackheads and move to the ferns to feed. After two weeks the larvae fall to the ground and pupate in the soil, emerging as adults about a week later to start the cycle all over again.
The spotted asparagus beetle appears a bit later than the common beetle. It is reddish-orange with six black spots on its wings. Spotted asparagus beetle larvae prefer the berries growing on the ferns.
Adults of both species feed on the spears, causing browning and scarring. Larvae and adult beetles also eat the ferns.
Harvest spears as soon as possible as beetles are attracted to plants with abundant foliage. Leave a small part of the crop unharvested to draw asparagus beetles away from the main crop.
Asparagus beetles avoid tomatoes. Plant a few tomatoes around asparagus beds. Choose a short determinate variety so as not to shade the asparagus fern later in the season.
French marigolds deter asparagus beetles with the added benefit of also repelling the tomato worm. Plant a few marigolds with both asparagus and tomatoes for double protection.
Make an insect spray from diluted liquid garlic concentrate. It acts as a natural defense against asparagus beetles and will not harm the plants or alter their smell or flavor.
Attract beneficial insects such as ladybugs and lacewings who love to eat the eggs and small larvae of asparagus beetles. Lure them to the garden with some of their favorites – alyssum, geraniums, lilies, cosmos, parsley, and cilantro.
Pick off adult beetles, eggs, and larvae and drop them into a pail of soapy water.
After the first fall frost, pick up garden debris and turn the soil over around plants to disturb overwintering beetles.
Birds can be a real problem because they damage crops that are left uncovered. Birds will be attracted to the small berries produced by female asparagus flowers, so it is important to remove these before they drop from the plant. The berries also contain seeds which you can store for later use.
Asparagus ferns are toxic to both dogs and cats so they should be kept far out of reach. The berries cause stomach pain and digestive upsets if eaten, and the needle-like leaves are sharp and can cause mild skin irritation, so use gloves or a newspaper wrap when transplanting.
So there is no instant gratification for the asparagus gardener. It is not an ephemeral plant, but one which is given long term care will reward the grower and cook with delicious, succulent spears over very many years.
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