We are planning to start growing a few vegetables in our garden and I'd like
to grow those things that are either expensive in the shops or really
benefit from being fresh from the ground. Asparagus seems to fit the bill on
both counts but on reading about it it seems incredibly difficult to get
established and a long time before you get a useful crop. Are there any
shortcuts I can take, such as buying or begging established crowns? As an
aside are there any must haves that are vastly better when eaten fresh from
the garden? We only have a small plot about 30 feet by 15 feet so it has to
work quite hard.
Thanks.

In article , Kevin Markland
writes
We are planning to start growing a few vegetables in our garden and I'd like
to grow those things that are either expensive in the shops or really
benefit from being fresh from the ground.

Don't forget fruit - things like loganberries and raspberries are very
expensive in the shops, and yet easy to grow and crop reliably. Apples
and pears aren't so expensive, but you can grow varieties in the garden
that you never see in the shops.

Home grown carrots taste immensely different from supermarket ones, as
do radishes.

--
Kay Easton

Edward's earthworm page:
http://www.scarboro.demon.co.uk/edward/index.htm

"Kevin Markland" wrote in
:

We are planning to start growing a few vegetables in our garden and
I'd like to grow those things that are either expensive in the shops
or really benefit from being fresh from the ground. Asparagus seems to
fit the bill on both counts but on reading about it it seems
incredibly difficult to get established and a long time before you get
a useful crop. Are there any shortcuts I can take, such as buying or
begging established crowns? As an aside are there any must haves that
are vastly better when eaten fresh from the garden? We only have a
small plot about 30 feet by 15 feet so it has to work quite hard.

Might be worth finding out what other people roundabout are growing:
then you can do swops : whatever you choose to produce you will probably
end up with some surplus.

Assuming your plot is fenced or walled, don't miss the opportunity for
using all that vertical space.

Lots of fruiting climbers - maybe a cultivated blackberry (some are also
very decorative), or you can grow raspberries up walls and fences, and
runner beans take up very little space if you grow them over a fence or
through a hedge, and do taste better when really fresh.

I am growing actinidia arguta 'issai' through one of my hedges atm -
it's a self-fertile, sweet hairless kiwifruit with lots of tiny fruit
like large grapes, which you certainly can't get in our local
supermarkets.

Good luck with the asparagus: I planted mine last year, and in theory
should be getting some usable spears next year, though given that the
plants got a bit slugged in spring, I think I may have to wait another
season for a real crop.

Discussion here in the past has suggested that asparagus particularly
likes bonfire ash and lighter sandy soil, so I am growing mine in the
excavations of an ancient bonfire heap.

Oh, although you did say you wanted to grow 'valuables', if you have a
grotty north-facing corner or awkward spot, fill it with rotted horse
manure and bung in a rhubarb. They take almost no looking after and
will grow in places most fruit and veg would disdain, if well fed. They
will also survive (nay, enjoy!) winter waterlogging.

Victoria

The message
from "Kevin Markland" contains these words:

We are planning to start growing a few vegetables in our garden and I'd like
to grow those things that are either expensive in the shops or really
benefit from being fresh from the ground. Asparagus seems to fit the bill on
both counts but on reading about it it seems incredibly difficult to get
established and a long time before you get a useful crop. Are there any
shortcuts I can take, such as buying or begging established crowns? As an
aside are there any must haves that are vastly better when eaten fresh from
the garden? We only have a small plot about 30 feet by 15 feet so it has to
work quite hard.
Thanks.


Asparagus is remarkably easy to grow. Do not have to buy crowns as you
can easily get seed. Just takes a year longer than one year old crowns.
Your looking at basically 3 years before you can pick them if grown from
seed. If your a bit less patient than that then 2 year old crowns are
available to hurry it along a bit but I`d still look at 2 years to let
the thing establish. The difference in taste from fresh picked to the
stuff in the shops is unreal. However, it does need room. My asparagus
bed down the allotment is 4m by 4m and will have about 35 crowns in it.
If you want a good supply of it you need quite a few crowns. Another
good reason for seed cos that little lot would have cost me over £100
around here in 1 year old crowns alone.

Has anyone seen the price of Blackberries in supermarkets? I nearly fell
over when the small punnet in Tesco was £1.57. I like them and you can
buy a cane for only about a fiver or you could ask around and you might
get a tip layer for next to nothing. I`d certainly look at soft fruit if
you like it.

Believe it or not, I`d go for stuff that's rather nice when it`s fresh.
That means to me, sweetcorn and peas. I simply do not eat fresh peas
from a supermarket any more simply because they are NOT. Over 2 hours
from picking and you may as well have frozen peas because at least they
are frozen at as close as their best as can be. Sweetcorn again
deterioates quicker than anything I know. Put a pan on the stove, pick
the sweetcorn and run to the kitchen whilst preparing the corn on the
way.

Tomato's have a better flavour when fresh (to my taste buds) than shop
bought. Plus you can always actually go for a variety you like.

"Kevin Markland" wrote:

Asparagus seems to fit the bill on
both counts but on reading about it it seems incredibly difficult to get
established and a long time before you get a useful crop.

One-year roots you grow yourself from seed will transplant and grow better
than most commercial two-year roots. From seed, you should be able to cut
a few spears the third season, and pretty much a full crop after that.
A bit of work to get started, but a good long term investment.
Sauteed in olive oil with garlic, nothing better!

Well..... almost nothing!

Cheers!


Gary Woods AKA K2AHC- PGP key on request, or at www.albany.net/~gwoods
Zone 5/6 in upstate New York, 1200' elevation. NY WO G

"Kevin Markland" wrote in
message
.. .
We are planning to start growing a few
vegetables in our garden and I'd like
to grow those things that are either expensive
in the shops or really
benefit from being fresh from the ground.
Asparagus seems to fit the bill on
both counts but on reading about it it seems
incredibly difficult to get
established and a long time before you get a
useful crop. Are there any
shortcuts I can take, such as buying or begging
established crowns? As an
aside are there any must haves that are vastly
better when eaten fresh from
the garden? We only have a small plot about 30
feet by 15 feet so it has to
work quite hard.
Thanks.

Aside from the other replies, do not forget bog
standard, ordinary peas. They are unsurpassed when
fresh from your own garden.

"Kevin Markland" wrote in
message
.. .
We are planning to start growing a few
vegetables in our garden and I'd like
to grow those things that are either expensive
in the shops or really
benefit from being fresh from the ground.
Asparagus seems to fit the bill on
both counts but on reading about it it seems
incredibly difficult to get
established and a long time before you get a
useful crop. Are there any
shortcuts I can take, such as buying or begging
established crowns? As an
aside are there any must haves that are vastly
better when eaten fresh from
the garden? We only have a small plot about 30
feet by 15 feet so it has to
work quite hard.
Thanks.

I used to think that about asparagus but wish now that I'd invested in it.

Mary

On Tue, 04 Nov 2003 12:05:31 +0000, Kevin Markland wrote:

As an aside are there any must haves that are vastly
better when eaten fresh from the garden? We only have a small plot about
30 feet by 15 feet so it has to work quite hard. Thanks.

I grew some sweetcorn for the first time this year and they were very
tasty. I wasn't a great fan of sweetcorn but my crop this year changed
that!

I also grew cucumber for the first time this year too. I was suprised at
the difference in taste. I buy organic cucumbers from the supermarket
but thier taste was not as good as my own. The supermarket cucumbers
taste very watered down in comparison. I will be growing the cucumbers
again next year. They were outdoor types and don't up take much space.

I grow the above on my allotment with all the usual crops, but I would
say the above two were the crops with the biggest taste difference.

Regards,

Paul.

The message
from Christopher Norton contains these words:

Asparagus is remarkably easy to grow. Do not have to buy crowns as you
can easily get seed. Just takes a year longer than one year old crowns.
Your looking at basically 3 years before you can pick them if grown from
seed. If your a bit less patient than that then 2 year old crowns are
available to hurry it along a bit but I`d still look at 2 years to let
the thing establish. The difference in taste from fresh picked to the
stuff in the shops is unreal. However, it does need room. My asparagus
bed down the allotment is 4m by 4m and will have about 35 crowns in it.
If you want a good supply of it you need quite a few crowns. Another
good reason for seed cos that little lot would have cost me over £100
around here in 1 year old crowns alone.

A couple I knew had the most productive asparagus bed imaginable. It was
probably 4 or 5 metres long, and only a couple of feet wide, with fencing
stakes each side, to which chicken wire was attached. They piled all their
grass cuttings into the bed, and the asparagus grew like wildfire! They grew
so much that they couldn't eat it all, and even freezing vast amounts couldn't
keep pace with the surplus! Every visitor to their house left with a bag
full of asparagus. I also used to get the older "woody" spears for my
wormery.

I couldn't hazard a guess at how many crowns were in the enclosure, though!

--
AnneJ
ICQ #:- 119531282

Kay Easton wrote in message ...
In article , Kevin Markland
writes
We are planning to start growing a few vegetables in our garden and I'd like
to grow those things that are either expensive in the shops or really
benefit from being fresh from the ground.

Don't forget fruit - things like loganberries and raspberries are very
expensive in the shops, and yet easy to grow and crop reliably. Apples
and pears aren't so expensive, but you can grow varieties in the garden
that you never see in the shops.

Home grown carrots taste immensely different from supermarket ones, as
do radishes.

I am not convinced that asparagus is worth growing in such a small
plot. we have a bed about 15 ft by 10ft and we have enough for two of
us for about 6 weeks. Mangetout peas taste good and are very
productive, and we have a tayberry growing along a fence The flavour
is absolutely superb and we freeze about 20lbs a year and have enough
fresh to eat for about two months. It is very little trouble and only
takes about 2 hours work a year! What ever you grow pick the best
varieties for flavour rather appearance or quantity.
Tony Bull www.caterpillarfountain.co.uk

"Tony Bull" wrote in message
m...
Kay Easton wrote in message
...
In article , Kevin Markland
writes
We are planning to start growing a few vegetables in our garden and I'd
like
to grow those things that are either expensive in the shops or really
benefit from being fresh from the ground.

Don't forget fruit - things like loganberries and raspberries are very
expensive in the shops, and yet easy to grow and crop reliably. Apples
and pears aren't so expensive, but you can grow varieties in the garden
that you never see in the shops.

Home grown carrots taste immensely different from supermarket ones, as
do radishes.

I am not convinced that asparagus is worth growing in such a small
plot. we have a bed about 15 ft by 10ft and we have enough for two of
us for about 6 weeks. Mangetout peas taste good and are very
productive, and we have a tayberry growing along a fence The flavour
is absolutely superb and we freeze about 20lbs a year and have enough
fresh to eat for about two months. It is very little trouble and only
takes about 2 hours work a year! What ever you grow pick the best
varieties for flavour rather appearance or quantity.
Tony Bull www.caterpillarfountain.co.uk

Oh I don't know, my wife and I have one small raised bed of asparagus, about
6 crowns, they provide us with several nice starters throughout the
springtime. Their flavour alone makes it worth growing, that and the, almost
neglect they seem to thrive on.

Yes you have to put up with waiting for them, but in my opinion it's well
worth the wait.

We planted ours when we first moved in and the next year took nothing, the
year after we had one crop and since then we get 5 or 6 small crops,
suitable for the two of us anyway.

Duncan

Is it possible for asparagus to spend its first year or two in a pot if
grown from seed? I have yet to decide how best to lay out my new veg plot,
but if I have a 3 year wait for asparagus it would be good to get it started
ASAP.


Mike

Is it possible for asparagus to spend its first year or two in a pot if
grown from seed? I have yet to decide how best to lay out my new veg plot,
but if I have a 3 year wait for asparagus it would be good to get it started
ASAP.


Mike

"Mike Tickle" wrote in message
...
Is it possible for asparagus to spend its first year or two in a pot if
grown from seed? I have yet to decide how best to lay out my new veg
plot,
but if I have a 3 year wait for asparagus it would be good to get it
started
ASAP.

Possibly in a five gallon pot?

Franz

The message
from "Mike Tickle" contains these words:

Is it possible for asparagus to spend its first year or two in a pot if
grown from seed? I have yet to decide how best to lay out my new veg plot,
but if I have a 3 year wait for asparagus it would be good to get it started
ASAP.


Mike


First year I would say no problem, anything after get it into the
ground. Just don`t crowd it as it needs room. My crowns this year look
fine in 8" pots but there`s no way I`d leave it in for a second.

Garden centers this way sell them in pots but you can never tell how old
they are.