Having recently moved here (South Ayrshire) I have inherited what I
think is an asparagus plant in a deep bed in the greenhouse. I have
never grown this before and don't even know what they are supposed to
look like. When we arrived in the autumn it had bamboo like shoots
topped with fine ferny growth. I cut it down to about 5 inches and
now it is sprouting little ferns on the shoots. Is this real
asparagus? Is asparagus fern something different? Should I be doing
anything to it? Any help would be appreciated.

Joan in Ayrshire
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The message
from Joan Riley contains
these words:

Having recently moved here (South Ayrshire) I have inherited what I
think is an asparagus plant in a deep bed in the greenhouse. I have
never grown this before and don't even know what they are supposed to
look like. When we arrived in the autumn it had bamboo like shoots
topped with fine ferny growth. I cut it down to about 5 inches and
now it is sprouting little ferns on the shoots. Is this real
asparagus? Is asparagus fern something different? Should I be doing
anything to it? Any help would be appreciated.

Joan in Ayrshire
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Sounds like it could be Asparagus, but why you would grow 1 plant in a
greenhouse is beyond me. I`d cut the whole shoot down to below ground
level and see what comes back. If it looks like Asparagus from the shop
then thats what you have.

On Mon, 6 Feb 2006 18:28:47 GMT, Christopher Norton
wrote:

The message
from Joan Riley contains
these words:

Having recently moved here (South Ayrshire) I have inherited what I
think is an asparagus plant in a deep bed in the greenhouse. I have
never grown this before and don't even know what they are supposed to
look like. When we arrived in the autumn it had bamboo like shoots
topped with fine ferny growth. I cut it down to about 5 inches and
now it is sprouting little ferns on the shoots. Is this real
asparagus? Is asparagus fern something different? Should I be doing
anything to it? Any help would be appreciated.

Joan in Ayrshire
remove 'spam' from email to reply

Sounds like it could be Asparagus, but why you would grow 1 plant in a
greenhouse is beyond me. I`d cut the whole shoot down to below ground
level and see what comes back. If it looks like Asparagus from the shop
then thats what you have.

Thanks for the advice. Not only is there asparagus, but an apple
tree!! and some rhubarb which I only found when I moved a piece of pot
drainpipe a few weeks ago. All that was left was a few wet, mouldy
brown bits and the only way I knew it was rhubarb was because there
was a label stuck in the ground by it. Anyway, I moved the cover and
there is now a little pink bud showing, so this autumn I'll find
somewhere outside for it. If I had somewhere ready for the apple tree
that would be outside by now as well.

Joan in Ayrshire
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The message
from Joan Riley contains
these words:

Thanks for the advice. Not only is there asparagus, but an apple
tree!! and some rhubarb which I only found when I moved a piece of pot
drainpipe a few weeks ago. All that was left was a few wet, mouldy
brown bits and the only way I knew it was rhubarb was because there
was a label stuck in the ground by it. Anyway, I moved the cover and
there is now a little pink bud showing, so this autumn I'll find
somewhere outside for it. If I had somewhere ready for the apple tree
that would be outside by now as well.

To do rhubarb justice you should prepare the ground well.

The old way, and IMO still the best, is to dig a deep hole - my old book
said four feet deep - and about two feet square at the bottom.

Acquire a lot of smallish bones - lamb ribs, chicken bones, etc. and a
bag of bonemeal; and from what's left after jumble sales, old leater
items and old woollens.

Some fresh animal manure can be incorporated in the bottom two feet, and
this will warm the soil as it breaks down. Higher up, it could burn the
roots of the rhubarb.

These release nutrients slowly, over a number of years.

Also acquire some well-rotted compost.

Put some bones, leather and woollens in the bottom of the pit. Mix
compost, spoil dug out of the pit and some bonemeal and tip it in.
repeat procedure until you reach ground level.

Any remaining bones, leather or woollens should be arranged round the
perimiter of the hole and the remaining compost and spoil mixed and
heaped over it, and the rhubarb crown planted in the centre of the
resulting mound.

Water copiously, and continue to keep it well supplied with water.

Do not pull even a single stick during the first year, and it will
reward you with *VAST* stalks in following years.

The asparagus can be treated in a similar way, though it's more usual to
build the bed up on a heap of manure. It isn't so greedy for water as
rhubarb is, though.

Are you sure the tree is an apple, not a peach or something which might
benefit from being in a greenhouse?

--
Tony
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

On Tue, 7 Feb 2006 15:49:19 -0000, Anthony Anson
wrote:

The message
from Joan Riley contains
these words:

(snip)
Do not pull even a single stick during the first year, and it will
reward you with *VAST* stalks in following years.

The asparagus can be treated in a similar way, though it's more usual to
build the bed up on a heap of manure. It isn't so greedy for water as
rhubarb is, though.

Are you sure the tree is an apple, not a peach or something which might
benefit from being in a greenhouse?

Thankyou for your reply. The apple is an apple as there was just one
large one on the tree in the autumn, which I ate and it was mushy and
tasteless - perhaps due to being grown in such a hot environment.
Manure I have plenty of as there are a couple of Clydesdales on the
farm and there are mounds of old manure here. Will it be alright to
move the asparagus and rhubarb now or should I wait until the autumn?

Joan in Ayrshire
remove 'spam' from email to reply

"Anthony Anson" wrote in message
...
The message
from Joan Riley contains
these words:

Thanks for the advice. Not only is there asparagus, but an apple
tree!! and some rhubarb which I only found when I moved a piece of pot
drainpipe a few weeks ago. All that was left was a few wet, mouldy
brown bits and the only way I knew it was rhubarb was because there
was a label stuck in the ground by it. Anyway, I moved the cover and
there is now a little pink bud showing, so this autumn I'll find
somewhere outside for it. If I had somewhere ready for the apple tree
that would be outside by now as well.

To do rhubarb justice you should prepare the ground well.

The old way, and IMO still the best, is to dig a deep hole - my old book
said four feet deep - and about two feet square at the bottom.

Acquire a lot of smallish bones - lamb ribs, chicken bones, etc. and a
bag of bonemeal; and from what's left after jumble sales, old leater
items and old woollens.

Some fresh animal manure can be incorporated in the bottom two feet, and
this will warm the soil as it breaks down. Higher up, it could burn the
roots of the rhubarb.

These release nutrients slowly, over a number of years.

Also acquire some well-rotted compost.

Put some bones, leather and woollens in the bottom of the pit. Mix
compost, spoil dug out of the pit and some bonemeal and tip it in.
repeat procedure until you reach ground level.

Any remaining bones, leather or woollens should be arranged round the
perimiter of the hole and the remaining compost and spoil mixed and
heaped over it, and the rhubarb crown planted in the centre of the
resulting mound.

Water copiously, and continue to keep it well supplied with water.

Do not pull even a single stick during the first year, and it will
reward you with *VAST* stalks in following years.

The asparagus can be treated in a similar way, though it's more usual to
build the bed up on a heap of manure. It isn't so greedy for water as
rhubarb is, though.

I thought the best way to grow Asparagus was to dig a BIG hole and put a
dead horse in the bottom.....

"adm" wrote in message
...

"Anthony Anson" wrote in message
...
The message
from Joan Riley contains
these words:

Thanks for the advice. Not only is there asparagus, but an apple
tree!! and some rhubarb which I only found when I moved a piece of pot
drainpipe a few weeks ago. All that was left was a few wet, mouldy
brown bits and the only way I knew it was rhubarb was because there
was a label stuck in the ground by it. Anyway, I moved the cover and
there is now a little pink bud showing, so this autumn I'll find
somewhere outside for it. If I had somewhere ready for the apple tree
that would be outside by now as well.

To do rhubarb justice you should prepare the ground well.

The old way, and IMO still the best, is to dig a deep hole - my old book
said four feet deep - and about two feet square at the bottom.

Acquire a lot of smallish bones - lamb ribs, chicken bones, etc. and a
bag of bonemeal; and from what's left after jumble sales, old leater
items and old woollens.

Some fresh animal manure can be incorporated in the bottom two feet, and
this will warm the soil as it breaks down. Higher up, it could burn the
roots of the rhubarb.

These release nutrients slowly, over a number of years.

Also acquire some well-rotted compost.

Put some bones, leather and woollens in the bottom of the pit. Mix
compost, spoil dug out of the pit and some bonemeal and tip it in.
repeat procedure until you reach ground level.

Any remaining bones, leather or woollens should be arranged round the
perimiter of the hole and the remaining compost and spoil mixed and
heaped over it, and the rhubarb crown planted in the centre of the
resulting mound.

Water copiously, and continue to keep it well supplied with water.

Do not pull even a single stick during the first year, and it will
reward you with *VAST* stalks in following years.

The asparagus can be treated in a similar way, though it's more usual to
build the bed up on a heap of manure. It isn't so greedy for water as
rhubarb is, though.

I thought the best way to grow Asparagus was to dig a BIG hole and put a
dead horse in the bottom.....

Absolutely bizarre. Sounds very painful to me. Is it a sort of ritual type
thing and after screaming "Ouch" the Asparagus ....................

The message
from "adm" contains these words:


"Anthony Anson" wrote in message
...
The message
from Joan Riley contains
these words:

Thanks for the advice. Not only is there asparagus, but an apple
tree!! and some rhubarb which I only found when I moved a piece of pot
drainpipe a few weeks ago. All that was left was a few wet, mouldy
brown bits and the only way I knew it was rhubarb was because there
was a label stuck in the ground by it. Anyway, I moved the cover and
there is now a little pink bud showing, so this autumn I'll find
somewhere outside for it. If I had somewhere ready for the apple tree
that would be outside by now as well.

To do rhubarb justice you should prepare the ground well.

The old way, and IMO still the best, is to dig a deep hole - my old book
said four feet deep - and about two feet square at the bottom.

Acquire a lot of smallish bones - lamb ribs, chicken bones, etc. and a
bag of bonemeal; and from what's left after jumble sales, old leater
items and old woollens.

Some fresh animal manure can be incorporated in the bottom two feet, and
this will warm the soil as it breaks down. Higher up, it could burn the
roots of the rhubarb.

These release nutrients slowly, over a number of years.

Also acquire some well-rotted compost.

Put some bones, leather and woollens in the bottom of the pit. Mix
compost, spoil dug out of the pit and some bonemeal and tip it in.
repeat procedure until you reach ground level.

Any remaining bones, leather or woollens should be arranged round the
perimiter of the hole and the remaining compost and spoil mixed and
heaped over it, and the rhubarb crown planted in the centre of the
resulting mound.

Water copiously, and continue to keep it well supplied with water.

Do not pull even a single stick during the first year, and it will
reward you with *VAST* stalks in following years.

The asparagus can be treated in a similar way, though it's more usual to
build the bed up on a heap of manure. It isn't so greedy for water as
rhubarb is, though.

I thought the best way to grow Asparagus was to dig a BIG hole and put a
dead horse in the bottom.....

Thats rhubarb and its a donkey.

The message
from Joan Riley contains
these words:

Thankyou for your reply. The apple is an apple as there was just one
large one on the tree in the autumn, which I ate and it was mushy and
tasteless - perhaps due to being grown in such a hot environment.
Manure I have plenty of as there are a couple of Clydesdales on the
farm and there are mounds of old manure here. Will it be alright to
move the asparagus and rhubarb now or should I wait until the autumn?


Better ask Janet as her climate is close to yours.

I'd say you could certainly move the rhubarb, though.

--
Rusty
Direct reply to: horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co period uk
Separator in search of a sig

The message
from "adm" contains these words:

I thought the best way to grow Asparagus was to dig a BIG hole and put a
dead horse in the bottom.....


Grape vine.

--
Rusty
Direct reply to: horrid dot squeak snailything zetnet point co period uk
Separator in search of a sig

Rupert wrote:

(snip mafia like ritual)

Absolutely bizarre. Sounds very painful to me. Is it a sort of ritual type
thing and after screaming "Ouch" the Asparagus ....................

I move a rhubarb to give to my mother in law, I had several crowns and
we cannot eat all we have. When I did, I had found all kind of rubbish
around and under it, tights, whool which came out as long pieces of
strings. I couldn't beleive what was coming out of there. I thought I
was going to find a dead body at the end!! Now I know why.

But you must admit, one learns so much in here. It's a delight. And
whilst I'm here, thank you to everyone )

On Tue, 7 Feb 2006 20:51:15 -0000, "adm" wrote:


"Anthony Anson" wrote in message
...
The message
from Joan Riley contains
these words:

Thanks for the advice. Not only is there asparagus, but an apple
(snip)

I thought the best way to grow Asparagus was to dig a BIG hole and put a
dead horse in the bottom.....

Do you mind? We're talking Clydesdales here with VERY stony soil! ;o)

Joan in Ayrshire
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In article ,
Joan Riley wrote:
On Tue, 7 Feb 2006 20:51:15 -0000, "adm" wrote:

I thought the best way to grow Asparagus was to dig a BIG hole and put a
dead horse in the bottom.....

Do you mind? We're talking Clydesdales here with VERY stony soil! ;o)

Then your asparagus should do excellently!


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.