Several year ago , I was informed by my wife that we were going to implant asparagus . My response was : what are we going to do with asparagus ? I was gently informed by my gourmet wife that Asparagus officinales was a very various veg , that it can be steamer , sautéed , roast , grill , stir - fried , boast in a salad or soup , or even eat stark naked ; in other word , the possibilities are interminable . In addition , it is one of the earliest outpouring veggie , and it would be nice to have something clean from the garden in the bound . by nature I concurred with my wife , and suggested that she place some seed and we would plant them in the garden where we had engraft edible corn the prior year .
The most decisive decision a gardener must make , once he or she decide to grow asparagus , issite location , because , as I mentioned , asparagus is a repeated , so the site should be thought of as a permanent location . Like most vegetable , asparagus will not permit wet soggy soil . take a site that receive full sun and that is well - drained or utilize a raise bed .
Okay , but how do I know if the emplacement is too wet ? Well , after a rainfall , if water fend in the point select for more than an time of day , it ’s likely toowet for asparagus .
The bed should be prepared as betimes as possible by amending the land with organic matter such as manure and compost . A soil test should be performed , asasparagus does poorly in grease with a low pH(high acid ) ; the Virginia Cooperative Extensionrecommendsa pH range of 6.0 - 6.7.However , some researchers suggest an even less acidic , higher pH , because fungal diseases that contribute to asparagus downslope — Fusariumcrown and root rot — survive better in more acidic filth . Increasing the territory pH level to 7.0 - 7.5 reduces the survivability ofFusarium . For extra entropy on pH level for asparagus , take a look at theSoutheastern US Vegetable Crop Handbook(p.42 of the 2024 edition ) . The higher pH level does not seem to affect the productivity level of Asparagus officinales , only the fungal diseases .
skillful land build - up is important with asparagus . We only get one luck — and that’sbeforeplanting — to adjust soil origin - zona depth to 12 - 18 in . If this opportunity is lack , it becomes very difficult to move nutrient deeper into the soil without disturbing and damage the roots .
Asparagus may be planted 4 - 6 weeks before the final spring frost , which historically in our domain is the last calendar week in April .
Although it is potential to produce edible asparagus from seed , most home gardener opt to plant one - year previous crowns because of the extra fourth dimension and maintenance require to mature asparagus from source . For additional information on how to grow asparagus , seeVCE Publication No . 426 - 401 .
For asparagus beginners , the 2nd critical conclusion is what mixed bag to choose . There are two major family to choose from :
1 . opened - pollination varieties , which include Mary Washington and Martha Washington , or
2 . all - male hybrid varieties , such as Jersey Knight and Jersey King .
In the tardy 1800 ’s , Professor William J. Green , a plantsman at the Ohio State Research Station , discovered that male asparagus plants are about 50 % more productive than female industrial plant . I ’m not produce this up ! More information about Professor Green ’s research and about early 1900 ’s spring up techniques can be found athttp://www.gutenberg.org/files/31643/31643-h/31643-h.htm .
One of the conclusions that Professor Green made was that the low-down productiveness of distaff plants is the result of vigor allocated to cum production . The fruit produced by the distaff flora compete with the crown and root for nutrient . Since Asparagus officinales is a perennial , the plant count on the nutrient stash away in the crown and root for next year ’s lance output ; therefore , the female plant is storing up less energy in the form of shekels and nutrients , resulting in lower yield than their male counterparts . For additional data about the reward of male edible asparagus plants , seeAsparagus , Oregon State Dept . of Horticulture .
Being something of a chronicle caramel , I wanted to find out a little about when and how the male hybrid works were develop . In the 1980 ’s Rutgers University began releasing what are call “ supermale ” hybrids developed by Dr Howard Ellison , a horticulturist at Rutgers University . Dr Ellison is regard as the groundbreaker in the breeding of the supermale plant . A abbreviated overview of Dr. Ellison ’s workplace may be found athttp://vegnet.osu.edu/sites/vegnet/files/imce/Asparagus trial.pdf
After review the attribute of the intercrossed manlike edible asparagus plants versus the open - pollinated plants , I elect to go with the all - male hybrid plants , and choose Jersey Knight F1 . The VCE documentVegetable Varieties for Virginiacurrently suggests two diversity for our area : Jersey Knight F1 and Jersey Gem F1 . Please notice , however , that these Jersey mixture could be in short provision as yield was halt a few years ago and it ’s unclear whether it has been restarted . For more about this , see “ Jersey Asparagus officinales varieties being discontinued – next steps,”Fruit & Vegetable News , University of Minnesota Extension , University of Minn. Ext.andMillennium is the New Leader in Asparagus , S.Dakota Ext .
Next , I identified a juiceless , well - drain locating , amended the stain with organic matter , and planted and plow the crowns . Here ’s where patience comes in ready to hand . I needed to waitress until thesecond saltation after plantingto harvest any spears . The first harvest home should be not more than 2 or 3 spears per plant . But patience compensate off . Nowadays , I harvest untried fishgig for a menstruum of 4 to 8 weeks .
Is it “ OAD ” ( one and done ) ? Well , not quite . Asparagus is a poor competitor with weeds ; therefore , in edict to have a successful Asparagus officinales bottom , I needed to keep the asparagus bottom by go along it as weed - free as potential . I accomplished this chore by handwriting - weed and very light finish with a hoe ; I avert the habit of a tiller or digging deep to keep off damage the crowns . constitutive mulches such as “ weed free ” sess clippings , leaf mulch , wood chips , “ clean ” stubble or compost can be apply up to 2 - 3 inches deep to subdue Mary Jane . Weed - detached skunk clippings and blank straw ? No , I elect to use folio mulch mixed with wood bit . I recall being told by an elder Madison County gardener to apply common rock salt as a weed control because Asparagus officinales , being late - rout , can stomach some salt , but I elect not to pursue this advice because saltiness can damage soil structure by creating a impertinence that impedes weewee infiltration . In twenty years or so , when it come time to set out another asparagus bed at a different location , what would I implant in the former location with its salty soil ?
Asparagus plant are heavy feeders , meaning they demand a lot of food , so every 2 - 3 years I take a dirt sample distribution and mail it off to the Virginia Tech soil lab to determine any nutrient deficiencies or pH adjustments that may be needed .
Now each leaping when I go out to glean those first Asparagus officinales lance , I think back on my amazing journeying with asparagus . Sometimes I pause to imagine the reaction of our colonial ancestors when they walk out to the garden and found those first green spears after a long winter without fresh veg . No wonderment Asparagus officinales was one of the first veg bring to this land by our forefathers .
SOURCES :
Featured Photo : by R. Morini
video recording : “ Asparagus ” by Ohio State University Extension , https://www.facebook.com / OSUExtension / videos/1178252452855758/
“ With the good care , asparagus beds will produce for decades , ” Oregon State University Newsroom
“ Asparagus ” VA . Cooperative Extension , Pub . No . 426 - 401
grow Asparagus in the Home Garden , Penn . State Ext .
“ Asparagus , ” Clemson Coop . Ext . Home & Garden Information Center
