Asparagus!
Posted by Lauren on 11 Apr 2009 at 10:37 pm | Tagged as: firsts, pictures, spring
The asparagus is coming up! We won’t have very many spears, but I didn’t think any would come back at all after the multiple sessions of scratching the chickens gave the asparagus plot. So I am happy to see these little spears!
Asparagus always makes me realize that spring really and truly is almost here – one of the earliest veg and so hopeful, coming back year after year. Congrats on your spears popping back out.
It’s beautiful! Congratulations! :) Makes me think of Animal, Vegetable, Miracle all over again…
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I am trying to grow asparagus in pierce county. I am looking for advice for success.
I planted 2 year olds, and have ferns. Do you have any advice on care? I appreciate any advice. I remember going to the Bainbridge Farmers Market and seeing big, beefy asparagus for sale. If Bainbridge can grow them, I should be able to in Sumner.
Thank you
Mindy
Hi Mindy!
My understanding is that you don’t harvest the first year in the ground, in order to let the asparagi (as we call them) establish their root systems. We have not yet harvested ours, though, and this was their 3rd year. We planted them too close together so the spears are not big and fat. Also the patch in which we planted them is very weedy and too hard to control — when the asparagus spears are small, it’s super hard to weed without harming them, so we end up not weeding, then the weeds are as tall as the spears, so we don’t find them until they are too old to eat …
When did you plant yours? Did they make spears this spring? How far apart are they? What’s the soil like?
When they turn into ferns, it means they are trying to have plant sex and finish their yearly cycle. Storebought asparagus crowns are mostly male (it’s one of those plants that has male and female) so the males make the fern-looking things, and females make berry-like things I think.
There are a couple great publications that might help you:
- Growing Vegetables West of the Cascades, by Steve Solomon — super specific topic, but a really thorough book! We refer to it a lot.
- Seattle Tilth’s Guide to Gardening in the Maritime Northwest — more like a booklet, but with good instructions for each month like “it’s June. Time to plant xyz and prune your whatever.”