Asparagus - not many spears....?

beckstrous

Hi All

Last year we planted 10 asparagus crowns. Only 6 have been successful. Some of them have quite thick spears but most of the plants only have one spear each, with a few having two.

Are we doing something wrong, or should we have planted a lot more crowns? They look quite healthy,but I can't see this being much of a crop when we come to cut the spears next year!!

Would appreciate any advice

valk_scot

That's normal for a first year growth of asparagus. Just make sure you don't cut any because the plant needs them to build up strength for next and subsequent years. No, asaparagus isn't a heavy cropper. If you just want a couple of meals ten crowns (depending on variety) is fine, but if you want several decent meals you should go for ten crowns per person to be certain of a big enough crop.

Mayflower10cat

Just as Val said.
We waited three years after planting before we had enough to actually cut and still leave some spears on the crowns. But trust me, they are THE most delicious, sweet, delicate little spears you've ever had in your life. The very first few we dared to cut I blanched briefly in boiling water, and added them to a salad. Utterly gorgeous!

mrbadexample

Is it worth me investing my time, effort and space in an asparagus bed? I like asparagus, and I like the idea of an asparagus bed, but I'm too impatient to wait three years. Is there a fast-track route to success?

What sort of conditions does it like?

valk_scot

mrbadexample wrote: »

Is it worth me investing my time, effort and space in an asparagus bed? I like asparagus, and I like the idea of an asparagus bed, but I'm too impatient to wait three years. Is there a fast-track route to success?

What sort of conditions does it like?

No fast track unfortunately! But it's worth waiting for, if you have the space.

It needs well drained and fertile soil in good sun. It hates being waterlogged (it rots) and it can't cope with a lot of weed competition. The roots are very near the surface so you have to hand weed, not hoe. Good crop for a raised bed. I used two old double wardrobes with the doors and backs taken off, half filled with topsoil and compost.

mrbadexample

valk_scot wrote: »

No fast track unfortunately! But it's worth waiting for, if you have the space.

It needs well drained and fertile soil in good sun. It hates being waterlogged (it rots) and it can't cope with a lot of weed competition. The roots are very near the surface so you have to hand weed, not hoe. Good crop for a raised bed. I used two old double wardrobes with the doors and backs taken off, half filled with topsoil and compost.

Apart from the weeding, is it a high-maintenance plant?

valk_scot

mrbadexample wrote: »

Apart from the weeding, is it a high-maintenance plant?

No. Plant it and leave it. You can cut the fronds down once they've gone dry at the start of winter (two minute job) and perhaps add some mulch of mushroom compost or such at the same time to protect the soil and crowns over winter. Then in spring you give it a quick sprinkle of multipurpose fertilizer and some bin compost and that's it, really, apart from weeding it.

lostinrates

Its worth having, because freshly cut, raw asparagus is better to chomp on as you wander around your garden than almost anything: even the first ripe berries of the year. There are some things that are good bought: fresh asparagus is as wonderful as homegrown tomatoes compared to the hard, sour imported ones, or the real deal strawberries compared to the ...hard big imported ones. I can't WAIT to have a be prepped for asparagus, and its v. easy from what I recall of family beds asparagus beds.

mrbadexample

lostinrates wrote: »

Its worth having, because freshly cut, raw asparagus is better to chomp on as you wander around your garden than almost anything: even the first ripe berries of the year.

Surely it can't be better than peas and radishes? :drool:

Talking of which, is it too late for peas?

valk_scot

mrbadexample wrote: »

Talking of which, is it too late for peas?

Good Gawd no. Some varieties can be sown right up till late May. If you grow several successional varieties then you can have fresh peas over most of the summer. Any gardening catalogue will give you a range to chose from of varieties suitable to your area.

lostinrates

mrbadexample wrote: »

Surely it can't be better than peas and radishes? :drool:

IMO better.