Need a little help here. What I want to do is make a long trough, above ground, deep enough for asparagus to continue to grow for at least 10 years. Don't know a lot about the plant other than it taste good and is very good for you. They say 2 years till the first harvest.
So this is what I'm looking for:

1. Width and depth of the trough
1a.Material, i.e. what type of wood that will not be adverse to the plant

2. Soil composition, sand, clay, moss

3. Full drainage or little drainage

4. Fertilizer numbers, 1st in the beginning, then after the
foliage development stalk numbers i.e.10-5-20

5. And if someone knows where to buy the best starter plants


Thank you in advance

Location: North Texas 30 mi from Oklahoma, north of Dallas

reasonably good drainage, fairly high level of
organic matter, sandy loam, spacing as recommended by
package, i may plant a few inches deeper than the
package recommends in an arid climate with hot summers
and also make sure to top dress the area with more
organic materials at the end of each season to help
hold the soil moisture in and to keep the OM levels
high.

there are new varieties available that have an
earlier growing cycle, you may want to find some of
these to add along with others to have an extended
harvest.


songbird

songbird wrote:
reasonably good drainage, fairly high level of
organic matter, sandy loam, spacing as recommended by
package, i may plant a few inches deeper than the
package recommends in an arid climate with hot summers
and also make sure to top dress the area with more
organic materials at the end of each season to help
hold the soil moisture in and to keep the OM levels
high.

there are new varieties available that have an
earlier growing cycle, you may want to find some of
these to add along with others to have an extended
harvest.


songbird

I still remember walking the fence lines and ditches on m y grandfather's
farm in the spring picking Asparagus . Didn't like it then , and don't now .
I tell my wife that I'll cook it for her if she'll cook liver for me ... she
refuses ! I mean , just because it makes her nauseus ...

--
Snag

On 1/28/2015 10:20 AM, Terry Coombs wrote:
songbird wrote:
reasonably good drainage, fairly high level of
organic matter, sandy loam, spacing as recommended by
package, i may plant a few inches deeper than the
package recommends in an arid climate with hot summers
and also make sure to top dress the area with more
organic materials at the end of each season to help
hold the soil moisture in and to keep the OM levels
high.

there are new varieties available that have an
earlier growing cycle, you may want to find some of
these to add along with others to have an extended
harvest.


songbird

I still remember walking the fence lines and ditches on m y grandfather's
farm in the spring picking Asparagus . Didn't like it then , and don't now .
I tell my wife that I'll cook it for her if she'll cook liver for me ... she
refuses ! I mean , just because it makes her nauseus ...

I'm with you, will eat asparagus occasionally but have always liked
liver, no matter what sort of critter it came out of. Hard to even find
liver in the Houston area unless you can find a real butcher shop, which
I just ran across one. Will be going back for liver soon. My wife likes
asparagus and liver and pretty much will eat anything. As the middle
child of five, two older brothers and two younger sisters, with the two
boys being very large, she had to scrap for her food at the table.

Wife grew up in rural Maryland and picked wild asparagus along the creek
side.

Back in the sixties, when we were a young married couple I bought all of
our meat of any kind from a local butcher that I had grown up with. Also
took the calves we raised to him for butchering and packaging. Hard to
find those types of butchers anymore.

Discovered today that both of the grow light bulbs were defunct, just
ordered a new one online. Getting close to seed starting time.

George

George Shirley wrote:
On 1/28/2015 10:20 AM, Terry Coombs wrote:
songbird wrote:
reasonably good drainage, fairly high level of
organic matter, sandy loam, spacing as recommended by
package, i may plant a few inches deeper than the
package recommends in an arid climate with hot summers
and also make sure to top dress the area with more
organic materials at the end of each season to help
hold the soil moisture in and to keep the OM levels
high.

there are new varieties available that have an
earlier growing cycle, you may want to find some of
these to add along with others to have an extended
harvest.


songbird

I still remember walking the fence lines and ditches on m y
grandfather's farm in the spring picking Asparagus . Didn't like it
then , and don't now . I tell my wife that I'll cook it for her if
she'll cook liver for me ... she refuses ! I mean , just because it
makes her nauseus ...
I'm with you, will eat asparagus occasionally but have always liked
liver, no matter what sort of critter it came out of. Hard to even
find liver in the Houston area unless you can find a real butcher
shop, which I just ran across one. Will be going back for liver soon.
My wife likes asparagus and liver and pretty much will eat anything.
As the middle child of five, two older brothers and two younger
sisters, with the two boys being very large, she had to scrap for her
food at the table.
Wife grew up in rural Maryland and picked wild asparagus along the
creek side.

Back in the sixties, when we were a young married couple I bought all
of our meat of any kind from a local butcher that I had grown up
with. Also took the calves we raised to him for butchering and
packaging. Hard to find those types of butchers anymore.

Discovered today that both of the grow light bulbs were defunct, just
ordered a new one online. Getting close to seed starting time.

George

I've already got san marzano tomatoes , basil and oregano sprouting .
Tomorrow I'll be fabricating mounts and hanging my brandynew grow light
fixture over the shelf the trays are on . Time to fill those half-TP-tubes
with soil and get some marigolds started . And more herbs and a few
bee-friendly varieties .

--
Snag

George Shirley wrote:

I still remember walking the fence lines and ditches on m y
grandfather's farm in the spring picking Asparagus . Didn't like it
then , and don't now . I tell my wife that I'll cook it for her if
she'll cook liver for me ... she refuses ! I mean , just because it
makes her nauseus ...
I'm with you, will eat asparagus occasionally but have always liked
liver, no matter what sort of critter it came out of. Hard to even
find liver in the Houston area unless you can find a real butcher
shop, which I just ran across one. Will be going back for liver soon.
My wife likes asparagus and liver and pretty much will eat anything.
As the middle child of five, two older brothers and two younger
sisters, with the two boys being very large, she had to scrap for her
food at the table.

If you have not tried really fresh asparagus you don't know what you are
missing, the best flavour is lost within hours. Supermarket asparagus is a
poor substitute, canned is not food.

--
David

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
A better world requires a daily struggle
against those who would mislead us.

David Hare-Scott wrote:
George Shirley wrote:

I still remember walking the fence lines and ditches on m y
grandfather's farm in the spring picking Asparagus . Didn't like it
then , and don't now . I tell my wife that I'll cook it for her if
she'll cook liver for me ... she refuses ! I mean , just because it
makes her nauseus ...
I'm with you, will eat asparagus occasionally but have always liked
liver, no matter what sort of critter it came out of. Hard to even
find liver in the Houston area unless you can find a real butcher
shop, which I just ran across one. Will be going back for liver soon.
My wife likes asparagus and liver and pretty much will eat anything.
As the middle child of five, two older brothers and two younger
sisters, with the two boys being very large, she had to scrap for her
food at the table.

If you have not tried really fresh asparagus you don't know what you
are missing, the best flavour is lost within hours. Supermarket
asparagus is a poor substitute, canned is not food.

You missed some attributions there , Dave . I don't know how much fresher
it can get , from the farm to the table was like under a couple of hours .
Not quite as good as slicing a still-sun-warm tomato onto your BLT , but
pretty close .
Besides , it makes my pee smell funny .
--
Snag

wawwiz wrote:
Need a little help here. What I want to do is make a long trough,
above ground, deep enough for asparagus to continue to grow for at
least 10 years. Don't know a lot about the plant other than it taste
good and is very good for you. They say 2 years till the first
harvest.
So this is what I'm looking for:

1. Width and depth of the trough
1a.Material, i.e. what type of wood that will not be adverse to the
plant


Why a trough above ground? It has long roots and unless it can grow down
into the soil you will restrict growth considerably unless your trough is
enormous. If you must have a trough consider concrete blocks and galvanised
iron walls. It should be deep, this isnt a lettuce. The area depends on
how many plants you want to grow which depends on how much you like
asparagus. I would say about a square metre (yard) per person if you like
it but more if you really like it.

In any case make sure it is in full sun.

If you have never eaten it really fresh be prepared to be wowed and to
increase the amount you expect to need.

2. Soil composition, sand, clay, moss


Asparagus is not fussy about the heaviness of the soil but it is a heavy
feeder so you will need plenty of manure and orgainc matter and to top it up
annually with chicken manure or similar. Soils that are moderately heavy
with some clay are easier to keep fertile than very sandy soils.

3. Full drainage or little drainage


Not very fussy. I have it growing in a moderately heavy silt. You are not
going to grow any vegetable well in very heavy (all clay) or very light (all
sand) soil.

4. Fertilizer numbers, 1st in the beginning, then after the
foliage development stalk numbers i.e.10-5-20


Not that fussy provided the soil is kept fertile.

5. And if someone knows where to buy the best starter plants


It probably doesn't matter, go to the nearest place to you. This is an
international forum so it is not a good place to get that kind of advice.

BTW starting from crowns is not obligatory, if you start from seed it will
take a year longer to get into production but cost much less. Ask around if
any friends or neighbours grow it, the chances are their garden has
seedlings here and there, especially under shrubs. Small birds eat the
berries and then poop around the garden sowing the seeds in little packets
of fertilser. Seedlings transplant well at any time of year, full sized
plants only when dormant crowns.


--
David

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
A better world requires a daily struggle
against those who would mislead us.

On 1/28/2015 5:08 PM, Terry Coombs wrote:
George Shirley wrote:
On 1/28/2015 10:20 AM, Terry Coombs wrote:
songbird wrote:
reasonably good drainage, fairly high level of
organic matter, sandy loam, spacing as recommended by
package, i may plant a few inches deeper than the
package recommends in an arid climate with hot summers
and also make sure to top dress the area with more
organic materials at the end of each season to help
hold the soil moisture in and to keep the OM levels
high.

there are new varieties available that have an
earlier growing cycle, you may want to find some of
these to add along with others to have an extended
harvest.


songbird

I still remember walking the fence lines and ditches on m y
grandfather's farm in the spring picking Asparagus . Didn't like it
then , and don't now . I tell my wife that I'll cook it for her if
she'll cook liver for me ... she refuses ! I mean , just because it
makes her nauseus ...
I'm with you, will eat asparagus occasionally but have always liked
liver, no matter what sort of critter it came out of. Hard to even
find liver in the Houston area unless you can find a real butcher
shop, which I just ran across one. Will be going back for liver soon.
My wife likes asparagus and liver and pretty much will eat anything.
As the middle child of five, two older brothers and two younger
sisters, with the two boys being very large, she had to scrap for her
food at the table.
Wife grew up in rural Maryland and picked wild asparagus along the
creek side.

Back in the sixties, when we were a young married couple I bought all
of our meat of any kind from a local butcher that I had grown up
with. Also took the calves we raised to him for butchering and
packaging. Hard to find those types of butchers anymore.

Discovered today that both of the grow light bulbs were defunct, just
ordered a new one online. Getting close to seed starting time.

George

I've already got san marzano tomatoes , basil and oregano sprouting .
Tomorrow I'll be fabricating mounts and hanging my brandynew grow light
fixture over the shelf the trays are on . Time to fill those half-TP-tubes
with soil and get some marigolds started . And more herbs and a few
bee-friendly varieties .

We're adopting your TP roll philosophy Terry, cheaper than peat pots and
we do run through a lot of toilet paper. G New grow light comes in
Friday and we will be starting seeds on Saturday.

George

On 1/28/2015 5:47 PM, David Hare-Scott wrote:
George Shirley wrote:

I still remember walking the fence lines and ditches on m y
grandfather's farm in the spring picking Asparagus . Didn't like it
then , and don't now . I tell my wife that I'll cook it for her if
she'll cook liver for me ... she refuses ! I mean , just because it
makes her nauseus ...
I'm with you, will eat asparagus occasionally but have always liked
liver, no matter what sort of critter it came out of. Hard to even
find liver in the Houston area unless you can find a real butcher
shop, which I just ran across one. Will be going back for liver soon.
My wife likes asparagus and liver and pretty much will eat anything.
As the middle child of five, two older brothers and two younger
sisters, with the two boys being very large, she had to scrap for her
food at the table.

If you have not tried really fresh asparagus you don't know what you are
missing, the best flavour is lost within hours. Supermarket asparagus
is a poor substitute, canned is not food.

Have tried it fresh, actually grew some once for DW, still didn't like
the taste of it. I guess there are just some things that I won't eat.

On 1/28/2015 4:36 AM, wawwiz wrote:
Need a little help here. What I want to do is make a long trough, above ground, deep enough for asparagus to continue to grow for at least 10 years. Don't know a lot about the plant other than it taste good and is very good for you. They say 2 years till the first harvest.
So this is what I'm looking for:

1. Width and depth of the trough
1a.Material, i.e. what type of wood that will not be adverse to the plant

2. Soil composition, sand, clay, moss

3. Full drainage or little drainage

4. Fertilizer numbers, 1st in the beginning, then after the
foliage development stalk numbers i.e.10-5-20

5. And if someone knows where to buy the best starter plants


Thank you in advance

Location: North Texas 30 mi from Oklahoma, north of Dallas

Asparagus plants grow a new crown every year on top of the previous
year's crown. So every year they are 1-2 inches closer to the top of the
soil. I have planted them 18 inches deep, sometimes. They began to crown
on top of the soil in about 10 years.

There is no reason for using a trough. Just dig a deep hole. Put in some
compost and mound it up into a cone shape and put the plant crown over
the cone of compost.

The like manure. Dress the top with a bunch every year and water it in.

Asparagus plants come in male and female. Only the female will have
berries. They also make the nicest looking stems. Some of the male
plants have weird shaped stems. They all taste the same.

You can also peel the older stems and they will cook just like the young
tender ones.

Paul

George Shirley wrote:
On 1/28/2015 5:08 PM, Terry Coombs wrote:
George Shirley wrote:
On 1/28/2015 10:20 AM, Terry Coombs wrote:
songbird wrote:
reasonably good drainage, fairly high level of
organic matter, sandy loam, spacing as recommended by
package, i may plant a few inches deeper than the
package recommends in an arid climate with hot summers
and also make sure to top dress the area with more
organic materials at the end of each season to help
hold the soil moisture in and to keep the OM levels
high.

there are new varieties available that have an
earlier growing cycle, you may want to find some of
these to add along with others to have an extended
harvest.


songbird

I still remember walking the fence lines and ditches on m y
grandfather's farm in the spring picking Asparagus . Didn't like it
then , and don't now . I tell my wife that I'll cook it for her if
she'll cook liver for me ... she refuses ! I mean , just because it
makes her nauseus ...
I'm with you, will eat asparagus occasionally but have always liked
liver, no matter what sort of critter it came out of. Hard to even
find liver in the Houston area unless you can find a real butcher
shop, which I just ran across one. Will be going back for liver
soon. My wife likes asparagus and liver and pretty much will eat
anything. As the middle child of five, two older brothers and two
younger sisters, with the two boys being very large, she had to
scrap for her food at the table.
Wife grew up in rural Maryland and picked wild asparagus along the
creek side.

Back in the sixties, when we were a young married couple I bought
all of our meat of any kind from a local butcher that I had grown up
with. Also took the calves we raised to him for butchering and
packaging. Hard to find those types of butchers anymore.

Discovered today that both of the grow light bulbs were defunct,
just ordered a new one online. Getting close to seed starting time.

George

I've already got san marzano tomatoes , basil and oregano
sprouting . Tomorrow I'll be fabricating mounts and hanging my
brandynew grow light fixture over the shelf the trays are on . Time
to fill those half-TP-tubes with soil and get some marigolds started
. And more herbs and a few bee-friendly varieties .

We're adopting your TP roll philosophy Terry, cheaper than peat pots
and we do run through a lot of toilet paper. G New grow light comes
in Friday and we will be starting seeds on Saturday.

George

George , this works so well it'll freak you out . By the time you need a
bigger pot for the seedling , the roots are coming out the bottom and the
lower 2/3rds of the tube have mostly decomposed . All ya gots down there is
a big ol' root ball . I have a hundred 4" round plastic pots waiting ... and
big bag of potting soil .
BTW , don't let them go too long , you'll have a morass of intertwined
roots down there , needing scissors to part them - DAMHIKT .
--
Snag

On 1/28/2015 11:08 PM, Terry Coombs wrote:
George Shirley wrote:
On 1/28/2015 5:08 PM, Terry Coombs wrote:
George Shirley wrote:
On 1/28/2015 10:20 AM, Terry Coombs wrote:
songbird wrote:
reasonably good drainage, fairly high level of
organic matter, sandy loam, spacing as recommended by
package, i may plant a few inches deeper than the
package recommends in an arid climate with hot summers
and also make sure to top dress the area with more
organic materials at the end of each season to help
hold the soil moisture in and to keep the OM levels
high.

there are new varieties available that have an
earlier growing cycle, you may want to find some of
these to add along with others to have an extended
harvest.


songbird

I still remember walking the fence lines and ditches on m y
grandfather's farm in the spring picking Asparagus . Didn't like it
then , and don't now . I tell my wife that I'll cook it for her if
she'll cook liver for me ... she refuses ! I mean , just because it
makes her nauseus ...
I'm with you, will eat asparagus occasionally but have always liked
liver, no matter what sort of critter it came out of. Hard to even
find liver in the Houston area unless you can find a real butcher
shop, which I just ran across one. Will be going back for liver
soon. My wife likes asparagus and liver and pretty much will eat
anything. As the middle child of five, two older brothers and two
younger sisters, with the two boys being very large, she had to
scrap for her food at the table.
Wife grew up in rural Maryland and picked wild asparagus along the
creek side.

Back in the sixties, when we were a young married couple I bought
all of our meat of any kind from a local butcher that I had grown up
with. Also took the calves we raised to him for butchering and
packaging. Hard to find those types of butchers anymore.

Discovered today that both of the grow light bulbs were defunct,
just ordered a new one online. Getting close to seed starting time.

George

I've already got san marzano tomatoes , basil and oregano
sprouting . Tomorrow I'll be fabricating mounts and hanging my
brandynew grow light fixture over the shelf the trays are on . Time
to fill those half-TP-tubes with soil and get some marigolds started
. And more herbs and a few bee-friendly varieties .

We're adopting your TP roll philosophy Terry, cheaper than peat pots
and we do run through a lot of toilet paper. G New grow light comes
in Friday and we will be starting seeds on Saturday.

George

George , this works so well it'll freak you out . By the time you need a
bigger pot for the seedling , the roots are coming out the bottom and the
lower 2/3rds of the tube have mostly decomposed . All ya gots down there is
a big ol' root ball . I have a hundred 4" round plastic pots waiting ... and
big bag of potting soil .
BTW , don't let them go too long , you'll have a morass of intertwined
roots down there , needing scissors to part them - DAMHIKT .

We will probably be planting in ground in late February or early March,
we're in USDA heat zone 8b so it won't be long.

George Shirley wrote:
On 1/28/2015 11:08 PM, Terry Coombs wrote:
George Shirley wrote:
On 1/28/2015 5:08 PM, Terry Coombs wrote:
George Shirley wrote:
On 1/28/2015 10:20 AM, Terry Coombs wrote:
songbird wrote:
reasonably good drainage, fairly high level of
organic matter, sandy loam, spacing as recommended by
package, i may plant a few inches deeper than the
package recommends in an arid climate with hot summers
and also make sure to top dress the area with more
organic materials at the end of each season to help
hold the soil moisture in and to keep the OM levels
high.

there are new varieties available that have an
earlier growing cycle, you may want to find some of
these to add along with others to have an extended
harvest.


songbird

I still remember walking the fence lines and ditches on m y
grandfather's farm in the spring picking Asparagus . Didn't like
it then , and don't now . I tell my wife that I'll cook it for
her if she'll cook liver for me ... she refuses ! I mean , just
because it makes her nauseus ...
I'm with you, will eat asparagus occasionally but have always
liked liver, no matter what sort of critter it came out of. Hard
to even find liver in the Houston area unless you can find a real
butcher shop, which I just ran across one. Will be going back for
liver soon. My wife likes asparagus and liver and pretty much
will eat anything. As the middle child of five, two older
brothers and two younger sisters, with the two boys being very
large, she had to scrap for her food at the table.
Wife grew up in rural Maryland and picked wild asparagus along the
creek side.

Back in the sixties, when we were a young married couple I bought
all of our meat of any kind from a local butcher that I had grown
up with. Also took the calves we raised to him for butchering and
packaging. Hard to find those types of butchers anymore.

Discovered today that both of the grow light bulbs were defunct,
just ordered a new one online. Getting close to seed starting
time. George

I've already got san marzano tomatoes , basil and oregano
sprouting . Tomorrow I'll be fabricating mounts and hanging my
brandynew grow light fixture over the shelf the trays are on . Time
to fill those half-TP-tubes with soil and get some marigolds
started . And more herbs and a few bee-friendly varieties .

We're adopting your TP roll philosophy Terry, cheaper than peat pots
and we do run through a lot of toilet paper. G New grow light
comes in Friday and we will be starting seeds on Saturday.

George

George , this works so well it'll freak you out . By the time you
need a bigger pot for the seedling , the roots are coming out the
bottom and the lower 2/3rds of the tube have mostly decomposed . All
ya gots down there is a big ol' root ball . I have a hundred 4"
round plastic pots waiting ... and big bag of potting soil .
BTW , don't let them go too long , you'll have a morass of
intertwined roots down there , needing scissors to part them -
DAMHIKT .
We will probably be planting in ground in late February or early
March, we're in USDA heat zone 8b so it won't be long.

It'll be mid - April here . I planted last year on the 15th , same night
we got our last frost . OOoopss .

--
Snag