Growing Asparagus from seeds
 

Mozie wrote:

-PHEW- *THANKS* I thought they were too spindly looking! So this is how
they are s'posed to look then? Thanks. I'm actually in the southern
hemisphere, so it's summer here (our seasons are opposite)

As the plants develop, the new stems will get thicker. I put mine in a
nursery bed 6 inches each way after overwinter in the flats. By the next
spring, they were putting up pencil-thick shoots, with fist-sized root
clumps; easily as big as "store boughten" roots, and ready to plant in a
permanent bed. Virtually no blank spots doing it that way!

Gary Woods AKA K2AHC- PGP key on request, or at home.earthlink.net/~garygarlic
Zone 5/6 in upstate New York, 1420' elevation. NY WO G

Growing Asparagus from seeds
 

Lynn wrote:

Soil PH should be between 6.5-6.7 in well drained soil.

Asparagus is a heavy feeder and needs regular fertilizer with well rotted
manure, or compost or a commercial product worked well into the suface of
the soil. Use straw mulch to control weeds and hold mixture after you get
them planted outside. Plant the seeds about 8 weeks before the last frost at
25 C. sow outdoors 3 weeks before the last frost 1/4-1/2 deep and 1 inch
apart. Space to 18 inches apart in trenches 8-12 "deep. as the seedlings
grow fill the trench back in.

Plants from seeds will take about 4 years to before you can harvest the
spring spears. It will grow well beside basil and parsley and tomatoes as
companion plants. and asparagus is prone to rust but a sulfur spray will
take care of that at the first signs.

I love asparagus, but it is rather expensive. I had thought
of growing it hydroponically. The thought of a multi-year wait
from seed to harvest dissuaded me. I live in hardiness zone 6b
(see http://www.usna.usda.gov/Hardzone/ushzmap.html). If I lived
in an area in 7a or 8a, I would plant them and wait.

I would not want to live in 8a or higher because I like at least
a 6" (152 mm) freeze to kill last years insects. :)

Dick

Asparagus is perennial and once planted you can harvest the spears for up to 20 years. They do need space though. I am planting mine this year in a bed that is 3' by 15' and having two rows a foot apart down the middle and staggering the crowns so that in each row there is a crown every 2'. Every now and then I'm leaving one out and marking the edge of my raised bed and this will be a spot where I will plant a tomato plant each year. The tomato protects against asparagus beetle and the asparagus has a root exudation that helps deal with nematodes that attack the tomatoes roots. BUT if this is done you need to be very careful when you remove the tomato plants that you do not disturb the asparagus roots.

Wild asparagus grows near the sea and they love a very sandy soil. Also you need to thoroughly weed the site and remove all the perennial weeds due to the fact that you will not be able to remove these once the asparagus is in. One plotholder on our site in London, UK lost all their asparagus due to the bindweed not being removed.

I am digging in 4" of sand over the whole area and then laying down some rotted manure before the end of this month and then will plant the crowns in the spring. I am getting 1 year old organically reared crowns and will order in more than I need. Would love to start from seed but don't have the time as I am planning to move in about 7 years time and will have to give up my plots then.

They love seaweed, either natural and unwashed or a seaweed preparation for feeding. Or even just a sprinkling of sea salt! Forgot the harvest times but it's only a few weeks. I think it starts in April and ends in June but you can google that. Then you leave it and allow the ferns to grow. If it is a windy site you may need to tie them. Once they start to discolour you remove them to within a couple of inches of the ground and get them away from the bed as they can harbour the asparagus beetle eggs. Hope this helps but bear in mind I am an organic grower in London. www.organicplot.co.uk

Growing Asparagus from seeds
 

(Dick Adams) expounded:

I live in hardiness zone 6b
(see http://www.usna.usda.gov/Hardzone/ushzmap.html). If I lived
in an area in 7a or 8a, I would plant them and wait.

I'm curious - what keeps you from planting them in zone 6b? They're
perfectly hardy there, as a matter of fact they're hardy down to zone
3.
--
Ann, gardening in Zone 6a
South of Boston, Massachusetts
e-mail address is not checked
******************************

Growing Asparagus from seeds
 

Hi All,
I can grow Aspargus from seed in the north of England. Zone 5 approx.

Richard M. Watkin.

"Ann" wrote in message
...
(Dick Adams) expounded:

I live in hardiness zone 6b
(see http://www.usna.usda.gov/Hardzone/ushzmap.html). If I lived
in an area in 7a or 8a, I would plant them and wait.

I'm curious - what keeps you from planting them in zone 6b? They're
perfectly hardy there, as a matter of fact they're hardy down to zone
3.
--
Ann, gardening in Zone 6a
South of Boston, Massachusetts
e-mail address is not checked
******************************

Growing Asparagus from seeds
 

Asparagus grows just fine here in Alaska in USDA Zone 3 and 4.
We started from seed -- no problem.

And I've heard that someone up near Fairbanks, Alaska is growing
it. They're in USDA Zone 2.

Jan


In article ,
"R M. Watkin" wrote:

Hi All,
I can grow Aspargus from seed in the north of England. Zone 5 approx.

Richard M. Watkin.

"Ann" wrote in message
...
(Dick Adams) expounded:

I live in hardiness zone 6b
(see http://www.usna.usda.gov/Hardzone/ushzmap.html). If I lived
in an area in 7a or 8a, I would plant them and wait.

I'm curious - what keeps you from planting them in zone 6b? They're
perfectly hardy there, as a matter of fact they're hardy down to zone
3.
--
Ann, gardening in Zone 6a
South of Boston, Massachusetts
e-mail address is not checked
******************************

--
Bedouin proverb: If you have no troubles, buy a goat.

Hi all

This is how my asparagus seeds turned out:
http://i373.photobucket.com/albums/o...g?t=1220515606

Now what? I obviously need to plant them in the ground. Do I cut back the ferns/leaves? It's spring at the moment in SA and warming up nicely:) All advice would be appreciated. Thanks

To start the plants from crowns, choose a permanent spot in the garden, keeping in mind that asparagus will grow and produce for at least twenty years. Dig a ditch that is about six inches deep. Apply some fertilizer and work it into the ditch throughly. The crowns can be placed into the ditch with the pointy side up and covered with only about two inches of soil. The soil should remain loose. Do not pack the soil down. The following spring you will add soil a little at a time as the asparagus grows until the soil is level with the garden bed. Asparagus loves the sun. All weeds and brush should be cut down to allow the asparagus to get as much sun as possible.

---------------------

reena499

Excellent, thanks. Must I cut back the greenery or not?

The greenery is going yellow, dying i assume because it's winter here. Should I cut them back?