Spring means it’s
asparagus time
Growing asparagus is easy and financially worthwhile when they are started off right Everyone loves asparagus. But its delicious flavour and short season often make this vegetable an expensive luxury. Of course, it doesn’t have to be this way. There’s no need to pay exorbitant store prices when you can grow your own. And growing asparagus in the UK is a fairly simple process. What’s more, once established, your asparagus beds will deliver delicious crops for up to 25 years! Starting asparagus from seed is easy, and it’ll save you a lot of money compared to buying asparagus crowns which are year-old dormant plants. Most varieties of asparagus are available as bare-root crowns. Asparagus needs a permanent Growing asparagus from seed home in your garden. Choose will save a lot of money a sheltered, sunny position in fertile, well-drained soil. Don’t worry if your soil isn’t perfect - you can dig in plenty of wellrotted manure or garden compost to improve soil structure and fertility. If you’re gardening in cold, wet soil, adding sharp sand or grit will help improve drainage. Alternatively, you can grow asparagus in a raised bed - see below. Asparagus likes a pH level of 6.5-7.5, so you might need to add lime to more acidic soils. Lastly, don’t replant an old asparagus bed with new asparagus crowns - choosing fresh ground will prevent a build up of diseases. Prepare your asparagus bed well in advance - asparagus crowns should be planted as soon as they’re delivered, so it’s well worth doing all the prep work first. Select the ideal spot for your asparagus and make sure the ground is completely weed free. The shallow roots of
asparagus crowns are easily damaged by a hoe, so it is really important to start with a weed-free asparagus bed before Selecting fresh ground when planting you plant. asparagus will eliminate disease Improve your soil by digging in one bucket load of organic matter, such as compost or wellrotted manure, per square metre. And, if you’re really ahead of yourself, you can also mulch your asparagus bed in late winter with manure or compost to keep the ground moist and deter weeds. Cover the earth with an opaque weed mat over the winter to prevent weeds from germinating.
How to plant asparagus crowns Plant your crowns as soon as possible after delivery. Because asparagus enjoys really good drainage, it’s best planted in trenches of around 20cm (10”) deep by 30cm (12”) wide. Fill the bottom of each trench with seven cms of well-rotted manure or garden compost to help feed the plants in future years. Mound the excavated soil on top of the manure to form a ridge down the middle of each trench. Place each asparagus crown on top of the ridge with their roots draped over the edges. Asparagus plants will need plenty of space in the coming years so lay them out at a distance of 45cm (18”) apart. Cover the crowns with plenty of soil and then firm them into position before watering well and mulching with 5cm (2in) of well-rotted manure or other organic matter.
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