wrote:
Hi - I purchased an asparagus crowns in the middle of April and
planted it out. The garden nursery said it was a two year old
asparagus and should crop this year, albeit lightly. I know its only
been one month, but it looks a bit spindly to me.

I've put some pics online he
http://www.thesullies.com/garden/asparagus.htm. Could any expert take
a look at tell me if the nursery was being optimistic with its
predictions of a crop.

Also, I just took the plant from its container and plonked it in the
ground with a bit of compost. I wasn't sure if I was supposed to
separate the spears - for the sake of not stressing the roots, I opted
not to. I'm now thinking that one plant (or crown?) will only feed me
one meal next year, which is a poor return - so perhaps I better go
and get a few more crowns. Or can I expect new spears to emerge from
the ground next year, and if so should I allow them to grow or nip
them off ?

Many thanks in advance...

Rgds,
Kevin.

PS - I am in Hove, East Sussex.
PPS - I am a novice gardiner - which may be clear by now. But this
usenet group is great!

You obviously don't watch /Gardener's World/. They did a piece about
sparrows' grass last Friday. As far as I can remember (I was dozy after my
fish and chip supper) they don't start producing a large crop until the
second or even third year.

The other problem is that you're a novice and growing sparrows' grass isn't
really something you should be attempting as your first veggie growing
project.

Also check your soil type - where do you live? They also like to be in the
full sun and, to the best of my knowledge, aren't that hardy, so would need
to be kept under cloches at this time of year as we are still experiencing
some nights of frost. Having said that, according to the link below, they
will grow in almost any soil (it doesn't make specific mention of sand, but
it does say acidic, so I took that to mean sandy).

Basics can be found on the /Gardener's World/ site
http://www.bbc.co.uk/gardening/plant...ges/7092.shtml,
but I'm sure someone else will come along who has a bit more knowledge than
I do.

As an aside, could someone please tell me why it's colloquially known as
'sparrows' grass' - is it to do with the sound of the word - or something
else?

Sarah

The comments expressed above are written by someone who doesn't really know
what she's talking about and have been gleaned from various sources, not
least /Gardener's World/. Please check with a reputable expert before
implementing any suggestions or advice.

--
In memory of MS MVP Alex Nichol: http://www.dts-l.org/