asparagus help?

[somelikeitraw]

There is an area of our yard that has very old asparagus plants in it. I thought they were dead as a few years ago dh dumped a pallet of stone on them that stayed there for a little over a year. Thankfully that pallet is no longer there. Yesterday I noticed the asparagus lacy foliage again, though only a very small amount. Any info on how I can give them a helping hand would be very much appreciated. Also, can I move them to an area where they won't get dumped on again? or will that do them in?

[sport]

I guess that there are not any great gardeners here today. The good weather has them all outdoors.

[spicyfull]

GROWING ASPARAGUS
Deborah L. Brown
Extension Horticulturist














Asparagus is the earliest vegetable harvested fresh from the garden each spring. Prized for its flavor, asparagus is also nutritious. It's an excellent source of vitamin A, and contains significant amounts of vitamin C, riboflavin, phosphorus and calcium. And one cup of cooked fresh asparagus contains only 30 calories.

Asparagus is a perennial plant that comes back from the same root system each year. Because a productive bed of asparagus can last 15 years or longer, choose your location carefully before planting. Consider ease of harvesting as well as the plants' special needs; well-drained, deep soil and plenty of sunlight ... at least 8 hours daily.

Rid the area of quackgrass and other perennial weeds the summer prior to establishing the new bed, as controlling perennial weeds becomes a very difficult chore once asparagus is growing. Work liberal amounts of organic matter into the soil along with approximately one pound of 5-10-5 fertilizer per 100 square feet of garden space.

Buy one-year old roots, if possible. Older, larger ones are more prone to breakage in transplanting. Mary Washington and Martha Washington are popular older asparagus varieties with decent rust (disease) resistance. Other good varieties include Faribo hybrid, Viking KB3, Jersey Giant and Jersey Centennial. You could start asparagus from seed in a nursery bed, then transplant them into trenches their second year.

Dig a trench 8 inches deep and wide enough to accommodate the outspread roots (about 10 inches), then space the asparagus 18 inches apart. Leave four feet between rows. Cover the roots with two inches of soil, and continue to fill in the trench as shoots grow. Be sure never to bury the green shoots completely. The trench can usually be filled by the end of the first growing season, but if not, simply continue to work on it the second year.

Don't cut any spears until the third year after planting. It's important for asparagus to develop a large, healthy root system the first few years. Begin by cutting for only a few weeks in May and early June. Then gradually increase harvest time to six weeks.

Cut spears when they grow about 6 to 8 inches tall; their tips should still be tight. Take only thicker spears; spindly ones should be left alone. Snap asparagus off at the soil line, or use a sharp knife to slice through the spear at an angle an inch or two below the soil surface. Be careful not to damage spears not yet emerged from the soil.

All spears that come up after July 1st must be allowed to mature into ferny growth. It is the tall, green ferns that gather energy during summer to be stored in the roots, ready to ensure another good crop the following spring. Allow the ferns to remain over the winter to catch and hold snow, protecting the below ground portions of the plants. Remove the debris early enough in spring so it isn't in your way when it's time to start cutting asparagus once more, in May.

Each spring before spears appear, work a balanced garden fertilizer such as 10-10-10 or 12-12- 12 into the soil at the rate of approximately 1 to 1½ pounds per 100 square feet of garden. You can also add some well-rotted manure or compost.

You may hear of using common salt to kill weeds in asparagus, but cultural methods along with limited, careful use of herbicides is preferred. A build-up of salt in the soil is not desirable; the only reason it doesn't harm the asparagus is that their roots are buried so deeply in the ground.

Control weeds by mulching with 3 or 4 inches of grass clippings or seed-free straw. Pull or hoe annual weeds out when they appear, as they can harbor insect pests, and they compete with the asparagus for moisture and nutrients. If some quackgrass has managed to come up in the asparagus bed, you can spot treat it with glyphosate (sold as Monsanto Roundup or Ortho Kleenup) as long as you are careful not to allow any of the herbicide to contact the asparagus. Obviously, it is far better to eliminate all perennial weeds before ever planting the asparagus roots.

Asparagus is sometimes troubled by aphids or asparagus beetles. It's usually not necessary to spray for the aphid; sometimes blasting the ferns with water from the hose takes care of them. If you have trouble with the beetle causing deformed crooked spears, though, you'll probably want to use the insecticide Sevin to control them.



Set year-old asparagus roots in a trench, then cover with 2" of soil.


H204A
Reviewed 2/99




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Index to Yard & Garden Briefs

[spicyfull]

Growing Asparagus In The Home Garden
HYG-1603-94
Carl J. Cantaluppi


Asparagus is a long-lived perennial vegetable crop that is enjoyed by many gardeners. It can be productive for 15 or more years if given proper care.

Soil requirements
Asparagus grows in most any soil as long as it has good internal drainage. Asparagus roots do not like waterlogged soils that will lead to root rot. It prefers a soil pH of 6.5-7.5., and will not do well if the pH is less than 6.0. Have the soil tested to determine phosphorus and potassium needs; or add 20 lbs of a 10-20-10 or similar analysis fertilizer per 1,000 square feet, tilled to a 6 inch depth before planting.

Planting
Buy one-year-old, healthy, disease-free crowns from a reputable crown grower. A crown is the root system of a one-year-old asparagus plant that is grown from seed. Each crown can produce 1/2 lb. of spears per year when fully established. A list of crown growers appears at the end of this fact sheet.

Asparagus can be planted from seed. However, caring for the small seedlings until they become established can be time consuming. Also, because the seeds are spaced a few inches apart, the crowns will have to be dug and transplanted to their permanent, wider-spaced location in the garden after one year. Thus, one year of potential spear production is lost due to transplanting.

Select the new all-male hybrid asparagus varieties such as Jersey Giant, Jersey Prince, and Jersey Knight. These varieties produce spears only on male plants. Seeds produced on female plants fall to the ground and become a seedling weed problem in the garden. Female plants also have to expend more energy to produce the seeds that decreases the yields of asparagus spears on female plants. The all-male hybrids out-yield the old Mary Washington varieties by 3 to 1.

Asparagus can be planted throughout Ohio from mid-April to late May after the soil has warmed up to about 50 degrees F. There is no advantage to planting the crowns in cold, wet soils. They will not grow until the soil warms and there is danger of the plants being more susceptible to Fusarium crown rot if crowns are exposed to cold, wet soils over a prolonged period. Plant the asparagus at either the west or north side of the garden so that it will not shade the other vegetables and will not be injured when the rest of the garden is tilled.

Dig a furrow no deeper than 5 to 6 inches. Research has shown that the deeper asparagus crowns are planted, the more the total yield is reduced. Apply about 1 lb. of 0-46-0 (triple superphosphate) or 2 lbs. of 0-20-0 (superphosphate) fertilizer per 50 feet of row in the bottom of the furrow before planting. This will make phosphorus immediately available to the crowns. Omitting this procedure will result in decreased yields and the spear production will not be as vigorous.

Toss the crowns into the furrow on top of the fertilizer. The fertilizer will not burn the crowns, and the plants will grow regardless of how they land so don't bother to spread the roots. Space the crowns 1-1/2 feet apart in the row. If more than one row is planted, space the rows five feet apart from center to center. Wide between-row spacing is necessary because the vigorously growing fern will fill in the space quickly. Wide spacing also promotes rapid drying of the fern to help prevent the onset of fungus diseases.

After planting, back fill the furrow to its original soil level. It isn't necessary to gradually cover the crowns with a few inches of soil until the furrow is filled in. However, do not compact the soil over the newly filled furrow or the emergence of the asparagus will be severely reduced. Spears should emerge within one week in moist soils.

Do not harvest the asparagus during the planting year. Spears will be produced from expanded buds on the crown. As the spears elongate and reach a height of about 8 to 9 inches, the tips will open. The spear will become woody to support the small branchlets that become ferns. The ferns produce food for the plant and then move it down to the crown for next year's spear production.

Asparagus is very drought tolerant and can usually grow without supplemental watering because it seeks moisture deep in the soil. However, if rainfall is insufficient when planting or afterwards, it is beneficial to irrigate the crowns. Otherwise the plants will become stressed and vigorous growth will be impeded.

Insects and Diseases
Inspect the ferns throughout the season for insect feeding and fern dieback. Asparagus beetles chew on the fern, causing the stem to turn brown and reducing the yield the next year. Spray the ferns with an approved insecticide when beetles are seen. For disease prevention, spray with an approved fungicide on a 7 to 14 day schedule beginning when the ferns reach a 3 to 4 foot height and continuing until mid September.

Do not cut down the fern growth at the end of the growing season. The all-male hybrids stay green until frost, enabling photosynthesis to occur longer throughout the season. Leave the dead fern growth intact over the winter. This catches snow for additional soil moisture and keeps the soil temperature about 5 degrees F cooler than bare soil with no covering of dead fern. The cooler soil temperature is helpful in delaying the early emergence of asparagus in the spring, when air temperatures might rise prematurely and then fall again, predisposing the spears to frost damage. Frost-damaged spears should be snapped and discarded.

Remove the old fern growth by cutting or mowing as low as possible during the first week of April in central Ohio. Dead stalks are very sharp and can easily skin knuckles when harvesting new spears.

Weed Control
Weed control can be accomplished by hand hoeing and cultivating during the planting year since there are no herbicides labeled for use in asparagus during the first year. Labeled pre-emergence herbicides may be used during the second spring, by applying it over the shredded fern, about three weeks before spear emergence (April 1st in central Ohio). Do not use salt as a weed killer. It will not harm the asparagus, but it inhibits water penetration in the soil. Also, rains can leach the salt out of the asparagus bed and into the rest of the garden, injuring other vegetables that are less salt tolerant than asparagus.

Harvesting
Harvest asparagus by snapping 7 to 9 inch spears with tight tips. There is no need to cut asparagus below the soil with a knife. This may injure other buds on the crown that will send up new spears. The small stub that is left in the soil after snapping, dries up and disintegrates. A new spear does not come up at the same spot, but comes up from another bud that enlarges on another part of the crown.

As the tips of the spears start to loosen (known as "ferning out"), fiber begins to develop at the base of the spears, causing them to become tough. The diameter of the spear has no bearing on its toughness. When harvesting, the asparagus patch should be picked clean, never allowing any spears to fern out, as this gives asparagus beetles an excellent site to lay their eggs.

The year after planting, asparagus can be harvested several times throughout a three-week period, depending on air temperatures. Research shows there is no need to wait two years after planting before harvesting. In fact, harvesting the year after planting will stimulate more bud production on the crown and provide greater yields in future years, as compared with waiting two years before harvesting.

Asparagus spears will start to emerge when the soil temperature reaches 50 degrees F. After this, growth of asparagus is dependent on air temperature. Early in the season, 7 to 9 inch spears might be harvested every 2 to 4 days. As air temperatures increase, harvesting frequencies will increase to once or twice per day, harvesting 5 to 7 inch spears before the tips start to fern out and lose quality. The second year after planting, the length of harvest can increase to about 4 to 6 weeks. The third year after planting and thereafter, harvesting can continue for 6 to 8 weeks. Since the length of harvest season will vary from year-to-year depending on air temperature, stop the harvest when the diameter of 3/4 of the spears becomes small (less then 3/8 inch). Experience gained by growing the crop will make it easier for the gardener to know when to discontinue the harvest.

When harvest is finished, snap all the spears off at ground level. Apply 1/2 lb. of ammonium nitrate fertilizer per 50 feet of row . At this time, a home garden formulation of glyphosate non-selective herbicide (such as Roundup) can be sprayed on the asparagus patch. This will kill any existing weeds. New spears will then emerge, fern out, and provide a large canopy to cover the space between the rows. Once a dense fern canopy is formed, weed growth will be shaded out.

Storage
Asparagus is very perishable and should be harvested in the morning when air temperatures are cool. After picking, immerse the spears in ice-cold water to remove the heat; then drain the water and place the spears in plastic bags. Store in the refrigerator at 38 to 40 degrees F. Asparagus will keep for 1 to 2 weeks with little loss of quality.

Some Asparagus Crown Sources *

Jersey Asparagus Farms, Inc.
R.D. 5, Box 372
Newfield, NJ 08344
(609) 358-2548

Nourse Farms, Inc.
Box 485 RFD
South Deerfield, MA 01373
(413) 665-2658

Daisy Farms
91098-60th St.
Decatur, MI 49045
(616) 782-7131

Krohne Plant Farms
Rt.6, Box 586
Dowagiac, MI 49047
(616) 424-3450

[artgirly4]

Oh my thats a whole lotta asparagus.

My dad used to know right where asp grew wild, He would go inthe spring and pick it right off the roadside.

If he was to wait until he could see it, it was too late, it had gone to seed, So he saw alot of seed but the next year he was on it. Knew right where it was.

We had alot of good eating with all his know how of getting that asparagus. I love it to this day. Had some this day. ah the good life. Raw good life. Bliss.

[spicyfull]

Oh my thats a whole lotta asparagus.

My dad used to know right where asp grew wild, He would go inthe spring and pick it right off the roadside.

If he was to wait until he could see it, it was too late, it had gone to seed, So he saw alot of seed but the next year he was on it. Knew right where it was.

We had alot of good eating with all his know how of getting that asparagus. I love it to this day. Had some this day. ah the good life. Raw good life. Bliss.

ColoRAWdo.....Is you Father still with you? Wouldln't it be OH SO Nice for you two to go on an Asparagus Run Today? I remember we used to get Water from a Spring and when I go back to My Birth Place........I can't find it.

[somelikeitraw]

Thank you Spicyfull!
These must be females as they are well over 15 years in the ground, so I'm guessing they have gone to seed and new plants are emerging. Me thinks I need to look into a better area of the yard and get some 1 year old plants.

[sport]

The Amazing Tonic Herb Known as Tian Men Dong
Wild Asparagus Root (Tian Men Dong) is called Shatavri in India. It is used as a natural antidepressant, a superb woman's herb, a tonic for sexual energy (in women and men), and a tonic for wisdom via the energy of the lungs. It is taken...

This is from Mike Adam's newsletter.

[Lavendula]

I also grew up picking asparagus along the roadside, and so did my children. I've just never really got it going in my garden. My plan has always been to plant it first in the strawberry bed, as they would make good companions.

Spicyful- did you type all that info?

Colorawdo girl- are you for real? Sounds like some cowboy poetry, I'm really from NE Nevada, but now the Midwest is home.

Sport- my husband is in Galway again, I just could not go with him, I'll try again in September. I would love to come see you.