Hi Gary

Forgive my ignorance but what are "regular flats on a 1" grid"...

Thanks

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

What do you think?
http://www.rae.co.za/Asparagus.htm

Mozie wrote:

What do you think?
[image: http://www.rae.co.za/Asparagus.htm]

Very pretty! Those babies will be in fine shape to plant out in the
spring, and into a permanent bed the next year....

Good show!


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

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). How big should they be when I plant them out? I'm thinking of doing that next month, ie planting them in a BIG pot, leaving them for a year then plant them in the ground? This is such a learning curve for me, but I'm enjoying it

Thanks again

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

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