Transplant asparagus crowns oneyearold rhizomes in spring about the same time you transplant out tomato plants. Its best to buy the crowns immediately before you plan to plant. Salt in asparagus soil how to use salt on asparagus for. October through march is the best time for planting transplants or crowns. The crown of the asparagus is where the spears will grow. Crowns can also be grown from seeds planted in flats or peat cups. The asparagus plant is made up of top ferns, crown buds and roots. Plant asparagus crowns dormant roots of 1yearold plants in spring at about the same time you would plant potatoes, but dont rush to plant them if your soil is still cold. Spring is the right time to plant asparagus roots so that they have a lot of time to establish themselves before winter comes. Plant in furrows 15 to 20 cm deep, shallower on heavier soils. Plant the asparagus crown in late winter or early spring depending on your temperatures. Dig a shallow, 6inchdeep trench 12 to 18 inches wide and soak crowns for 15 minutes in cool water or diluted compost tea.
This means deep hoeing is not an option to get rid of weeds. Asparagus is grown from 1 or 2yearold crowns planted in january or february, or as soon as the ground can be worked. Asparagus roots are easy to plant and fast to grow. Asparagus is usually planted by using roots also called crowns from 1yearold plants or seedling transplants that are 8 to 10 weeks old. Using salt for weed control is an old farm tradition, and while the high salinity does kill some annual weeds, persistent perennial weeds may be resistant and the practice leaves an excess. Asparagus can be grown from seed, but it is easier to plant oneyearold dormant plants, known as crowns, in march. If you plant and manage properly it will produce for 15 years or more. Be patient and do not harvest the first year but do leave a few fronds growing for photosynthesis. Monty don shows you how to prepare the crowns for planting, and how to prepare the soil so this longterm crop will thrive for many years to come.
If your soil is acidic, add sufficient lime to bring the ph up to 7 and mix it into the planting area. Select a sunny location where there is a minimum of competition from the roots of trees and shrubs. One pound of seed should produce crowns for planting. Establishing a new planting an asparagus bed may be established from transplants plugs or crowns. Soak seeds in water for up to 24 hours before sowing. We specialize in 3 year asparagus plants, roots and crowns in all varieties. Asparagus crowns should be planted 6 to 8 inches deep in light, sandy soils, but only 4 to 6 inches deep in heavier soils.
Plants ship between january july, depending on zone. Asparagus production osu fact sheets oklahoma state university. Use the trench method, digging 6 to 7 inches deep and 12 to 18 inches wide. Planting crowns when purchasing asparagus crowns, choose diseasefree, 1 year old crowns from a reputable grower. Adjusting the fertility level before planting is essential since an asparagus planting may last 15 to 20 years and cannot be plowed or tilled once the crowns are set. One pound of seed should produce crowns for planting one acre of asparagus. They will not grow until the soil warms and there is danger of the plants being more susceptible to fusarium rot if crowns are exposed to cold, wet soils over a pro longed period. This perennial is easily grown from crowns or roots, and once established will produce tender spears every spring for many years. Keep the crown in hand and backfill the hole until the crown is about 3. If you have to wait before planting, wrap the roots in sphagnum moss to keep them healthy. Sow seeds in moistened peat or seedstarting soil in flats or peat cups.
Plant the crowns 8 to 10 inches deep and spaced about a foot and a half apart. How to plant plant all male crowns, one to two years old. Inspect the plants often looking for signs or symptoms of disease. Irrigation is important to relieve drought stress, particularly during the first two seasons after crown planting. If you opt to plant crowns, keep in mind asparagus suffers some transplant. Once the bed is weedfree, dig a trench about 12 deep and a foot wide. Vegetable research and information center growing asparagus in the garden page 2 bottom of the trench, and cover with 1 or 2 inches of garden soil. Late spring frosts can kill emerged spears, so find an area that is not lowlying or exposed to frost. Good fern growth one year can result in high yields the following season. Buy many asparagus roots this spring and enjoy the harvest in 3 weeks. A good rule of thumb is to plant 25 asparagus plants for a family of four. Asparagus is grown from crowns, or oneyear old plants, that are typically sold in early spring. Because asparagus remains in the same place several years, it is important to select the right spot and prepare the.
Weeds growing in an asparagus bed can rob nutrients from the asparagus crop and should be controlled. Asparagus diseases and pests, description, uses, propagation. How to grow asparagus planting asparagus gardeners supply. Use transplants of 1yearold crowns from a reputable dealer that are certified diseasefree. To plant the crown, make a little mound, like an anthill, at the bottom of the trench. Dig a generous amount of compost into the new planting site. This video shows the basics of planting jersey knight hybrid asparagus plants into a perennial planting bed. Take your bareroot asparagus plants and place the crown so that the roots are spread out around all sides of the mound in the hole. Grade plants so that similar sized crowns are planted in the same field. Eight or nine seeds should be planted per foot of row. Learn the secrets of growing successful asparagus in monty dons comprehensive planting guide to planting bareroot asparagus crowns. Plant crowns in rows 18 x 4 to 5, or in wide beds of three rows with plants 18 inches apart in all directions. Any home gardener can grow and enjoy this spring vegetable.
Improve the fertility of the soil for your asparagus bed a year in advance, if possible. Choose a fertile, sunny, welldrained site with soil that holds moisture well. Asparagus growing and care calendar harvest to table. If the crowns are too shallow the spears are spindly and if planted too deep the crowns grow to the surface too rapidly sacrificing the yield of your early crop. Plant the asparagus at either the west or north side of the garden so that it will not shade. Asparagus is one of the earliest of springharvested crops. A planting of asparagus can last 15 years or more, so choose the spot for an asparagus bed carefully.
Asparagus grows best in deep, fertile soil, and it responds well to a yearly fertilizing with a 101010 fertilizer applied on the soil surface. Growing asparagus in a home garden nc state extension. Root should be laid flat in bottom of trench with crown or top of root upright in middle with entacles spread evenly in each direction. This is to minimize the time your dug plants spend above ground. Soak the crowns in compost tea for 20 minutes before planting. Growing asparagus in the home garden horticulture and. The current thinking is that asparagus still needs good loose soil, but that the crowns only need be planted 46 inches below the soil line. Sams, professor plant and soil science asparagus asparagus officinalis is a member of the lily family. Dig a trench about 6 inches deep, where you will place the transplants. After planting, cover the crowns with 2 inches of soil. Asparagus is most often planted from crowns, which are the base and roots of oneyearold asparagus plants. To shorten the period from planting to harvest, buy and plant healthy, vigorous, 1 or 2yearold crowns from a. The crowns should be planted at 18 intervals in the bed, so put a shovel of compost and a cup of allpurpose, organic fertilizer in the trench every 18.
Although asparagus can be established by direct seeding or transplanting of greenhousegrown seedlings, current plantings are established with fieldgrown 1yearold crowns. It has been grown for more than 2,000 years and is quite popular in the home garden today. Plant crowns as soon after purchase as possible, in a prepared bed of welldrained, sandy soil. To plant the crowns, spread the roots of the crowns out on the bottom of the trench. Before you dig your asparagus, you must prepare the new site for planting. As the plants grow, continue to cover with 2 inches of soil as needed until crowns are 8 inches deep. Allmale hybrids tend to be produce more spears than females and are a good choice for growing at home. Once plants reach 12 inches in height, harden them off outdoors for a week.
Dry weather during the cutting season or late in the fern growing season october will have little effect on yield. To plant asparagus crowns, dig trenches 12 inches wide and 6 inches deep 8 inches in sandy soil down the center of the prepared bed. If your asparagus plants roots are cramped, consider widening the planting hole. Direct seeding to the field is not recommended as a method for establishing a new. Asparagus does best in full sunlight and deep, welldrained, sandy or lighttextured soils. Our asparagus plants are highly productive, oneyearold, largegraded crowns grown in managed nursery conditions. Asparagus has been considered a garden delicacy since roman times. We offer seeds as well as hardy, oneyearold crowns of reliable, standard varieties with complete, easytofollow growing.
Since this crop will occupy the land for many years you should select and prepare the asparagus bed carefully location, soil type, soil fertility, size and age of crowns. Rows of asparagus should be at least 2 feet apart, allowing two rows to fit in a 4foot wide bed. Work in wellrotted manure to the bottom of the trench and cover the base with a 5cm 2in layer of the excavated soil. Jersey knight asparagus plants crowns roots bare root garden 25 ea all male by. Become familiar with what a healthy asparagus plant looks like so you will be able to identify an unhealthy plant. In fall the asparagus bed should have 3 to 5 inches of soil over the crowns. Work in your compost or other organic matter at this time. After the last spring frost, transplant the young plants to a temporary. Asparagus growing instructions nichols garden nursery. A small amount of wellrotted manure can be worked into the soil at the bottom of the trench before planting. Asparagus are perennials which grow from crowns planted 6 to 8 inches beneath the soil surface.
Set crowns 5 to 8 inches apart and cover with 2 inches of soil. The most common way to plant asparagus crowns is in a trench. In the spring, dig a trench about 8 to 10 inches deep and 18 to 20 inches wide. Dig a trench 12 inches wide by 12 inches deep where the crowns are to be planted. This asparagus plant has natural disease resistance, is very vigorous, and produces large spears.
Place the crowns approximately six to eight inches deep. Space plants about 12 to 15 inches apart, so they will have. As plants begin to grow cover the new growth with 2 inches of soil every few weeks until the trench is filled. Plant growth is greatly influenced by adequate soil moisture. Select one to two year old crowns with welldeveloped roots. Transplant and divide asparagus plants for better production. Asparagus crowns are usually available just once a year in early spring. Newly planted asparagus does not like really cold temperatures, so wait until the worst of winter has passed. To plant, dig a trench 30cm 12in wide and 20cm 8in deep. Set crowns at the bottom of a trench 10 to 12 inches deep and cover with 2 to 3 inches of soil. Asparagus needs undisturbed time to develop strong crowns. Planting asparagus fact sheets gardening australia. Asparagus can be planted as one, two or threeyear crowns vegetative propagation in early spring. Creating and planting an asparagus bed with bare root crowns.
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