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Growing Asparagus from seeds
Mozie wrote:
Me again! Is there really noone out there that can help me with the soil composition to grow asparagus seeds? I'll just have to wingit then... Any light potting mix will work for starting the seeds. What I referred to as "Pro-Mix" is a commercial version of the "Cornell formula," which is peat, perlite, sand, some fertilizer. Asparagus likes deep sandy soil, though I do pretty well in heavy clay interspersed with rocks. If you start the seeds in mid-winter, you can transplant them to a nursery bed in the spring, then to a permanent bed the next spring. You'll get excellent plants at a fraction of the cost of commercially grown roots, and incur little or no time penalty for doing so. Confession: I'm economical, verging on downright cheap. 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 |
#3
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Growing Asparagus from seeds
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. -- Lynn "Mozie" wrote in message ... Mozie Wrote: Thanks! I live in South Africa so apart from not having ready mixed soil like "Pro-Mix" at the nursery, our seasons are opposite to the northern hemisphere. We're at the end of spring going into summer at the moment. I visit nurseries regularly but have never seen asparagus crowns and none of my gardening friends have either (or the soil). I wanted to try something different so when I saw a packet of asparagus seeds I snapped them up. So, any help to get them growing would be appreciated! Can anyone help with the soil mixture? I'm thinking half peat moss and half regular potting soil? Am I right in saying the soil must always be damp? Thanks again everyone Mozie Me again! Is there really noone out there that can help me with the soil composition to grow asparagus seeds? I'll just have to wingit then... Thanks anyway. -- Mozie |
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Thanks Gary & Lynn, exactly what I needed |
#5
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Ok, so here's my plan. I don't have a lot of garden space so I'm thinking of planting the asparagus seeds in pots approx 20" in diametre by 30" deep. I'll use a light potting mix with about a 1/4 fertilizer/manure to start. Is 1 seed per pot ok? or can I have more per pot? I'll keep them in pots for the first year, fertilizing every month or so. Too much? Thereafter I'll plant them in the ground among my tomatoes and other vegies - well I'll cross that bridge when I get to it. Thanks everyone
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#6
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Growing Asparagus from seeds
Mozie wrote:
Ok, so here's my plan. I don't have a lot of garden space so I'm thinking of planting the asparagus seeds in pots approx 20" in diametre by 30" deep. I'll use a light potting mix with about a 1/4 fertilizer/manure to start. Is 1 seed per pot ok? I can tell you what I did. There is no warranty, express or implied: Seeds in regular flats on a 1" grid. Grown for a couple/three months, then transplanted to nursery bed 6" by 6". You can expect 1-year crowns to get fist sized and be ready for transplanting to their permanent home the next season. With good conditions, some will be big enough for a light cutting the next season. 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 |
#7
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Hi Gary
Forgive my ignorance but what are "regular flats on a 1" grid"... Thanks |
#8
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Growing Asparagus from seeds
Mozie wrote:
Forgive my ignorance but what are "regular flats on a 1" grid"... In this case, I was just referring to the plastic trays plants are commonly sold in, which gardeners customarily save too many of. Typically, six of these fit into a larger holder, which is how the greenhouse folk handle them. As the other reply said, the "grid" is just a 1" X 1" planting pattern. And not all that precise; the really obsessive folk have a "dibble board" with pegs or spikes at the desired spacing to make a nice even array of planting holes. I've thought of doing that, but haven't gone _completely_ 'round the bend yet. 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 |
#9
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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 |
#11
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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 ****************************** |
#12
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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. |
#13
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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 |
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