«
»

Video: Planting asparagus

If you’re thinking about planting asparagus crowns and haven’t done it before, this may help. And if you have done it before, you can tell me what I’m doing wrong…


from on .

Related Posts

This entry was posted on Tuesday, March 31st, 2009 at 4:13 pm and is filed under Asparagus. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

13 Responses to “Video: Planting asparagus”

  1. Rampant_Weasel Says:

    very good soilman, far more informative than gardeners world and shows u exactly what to do.
    only prob is i havent enuff space in my garden to plant any 🙁

    March 31st, 2009 at 5:16 pm

  2. Soilman Says:

    Thanks for kind words, Rampant_Weasel. Even if you’ve only got a small space, a couple of asparagus plants produce a surprising number of spears – definitely more than a few meals. Could you perhaps find a square metre somewhere??

    March 31st, 2009 at 5:21 pm

  3. Rampant_Weasel Says:

    yes i could, i was thinking, looking at your 2 good rows that i would need alot for a meal…..
    how long are crowns on sale for and what variety are yours?

    March 31st, 2009 at 6:42 pm

  4. Soilman Says:

    They’re usually on sale throughout April, and good to plant well into May. Mine are Grolim, an excellent variety – I have them in my other bed. Nice thick spears and very prolific. Heartily recommended.

    I’m not wildly keen on F1 hybrids, but I make an exception for asparagus; open-pollinated varieties seed the bed and need constant thinning (to pull up the newly seeded plants) to stay productive.

    March 31st, 2009 at 7:00 pm

  5. Cazauxs Food Factory Says:

    Great post, very professionally editted, fun and informative.

    You’ve lost weight SM. Hows that diet doing?

    March 31st, 2009 at 9:06 pm

  6. Mike Says:

    Very good post, I love that you add videos to your blog and this last one was one of your best. I have grown asparagus off and on for quite some time now and planted a purple variety this last spring, I am looking forward to seeing how it turns out…if it survived the winter.

    Thanks for the informative video, although I could have used it years ago when I first planted my asparagus upside down.:)

    Mike

    April 1st, 2009 at 2:16 am

  7. Soilman Says:

    Cazaux: Optical illusion, I’m afraid. Or maybe I have some weird genetic condition that makes me look slimmer on camera??

    Mike: Do let me know (post pics on your blog?) how the purple asparagus turns out. I’m told it tastes great, but is a bit trickier to grow.

    April 1st, 2009 at 7:13 am

  8. VP Says:

    Have just gone for the free Asparagus offer in this month’s Garden Answers. I can’t wait to put your instructions to the test!

    April 1st, 2009 at 12:12 pm

  9. Li'l Ned Says:

    Oh gosh. I had every intention of doing mine like this. The Right Way. The Proper Way. Dig deep trench, add compost, lay crowns on top with spider-like roots draped gracefully down the sides, back fill, water in, admire, and bask in that satisfying smugness of a Job Well Done.

    I even started out this way. But it was a hot day, I was tired, and (call me lame, or call me shallow), I got bored after the first 20 plants. So with the last 20 plants I cut to the chase. I began to dig shallow, individual holes, jammed the buggers in, pulled the soil back over ’em, and called it good.

    Honestly, I had a rationale all worked out at the time. Asparagus grow from seeds dropped on the surface by mother plants, right? Around here they grow wild in drainage ditches and irrigation canals. And I’m in the desert. So how hard do I really have to work to get these babies to grow? Heck, they LOVE adversity, or they wouldn’t grow wild here.

    2 years on, all seem to be growing about the same. Hmm. Here I thought I’ve been feeling guilty all this time, and maybe instead I’ve actually discovered Asparagus Planters’ Nirvana? This year’s the test: time to start plucking and eating. We’ll see.

    And Soilman, if my slacker-planted asparagus really is just the same as the carefully-planted asparagus, I promise that not only will I cede you the Moral High Gardening Ground, I will also resist the urge to say ‘neener’………………

    April 2nd, 2009 at 3:36 pm

  10. Soilman Says:

    Do the ‘Nee-nah’ as much as you like, Lil Ned – I’ll be delighted that you’ve got the results from doing less work. This is my preferred style, frankly, so I’m always pleased to see idleness rewarded…

    April 2nd, 2009 at 6:24 pm

  11. Says:

    I tried a different approach. I took out the crowns, set them up on benches, and gave them “the talk.” Look, I said, it’s nature vs nuture, and you’re getting nature. I’m going to drop you in a hole, shovel a bit of grit on your head, and then you decide. I’m not going to tell you life is easy, because it’s not. Things will get cold, and hot, and wet, and dry. I’m not god, for christ sake, I have no control. You decide whether you want to live or die. Neither option is perfect. Even if you choose the former, I’ll be eating your children.

    April 2nd, 2009 at 8:34 pm

  12. Rampant_Weasel Says:

    did it say anything back?or was it so aghast it just plonked its arse in the soil and grew for the hell of it?

    April 3rd, 2009 at 3:46 am

  13. Lalu Peck Says:

    Thanks for a very informative video but I’ve just bought some plants (seeded last Spring)and can’t find any information as to how to grow them on. Do I just plant out now in a well manured trench a little deeper than the soil level or leave them until next Spring. My allotment is in Central London!! How on earth do these crowns get such roots? Are they already a few years old?? Thanks, Lalu

    October 4th, 2009 at 5:35 pm

«
»