Did you know you can grow your own asparagus bed?
Well, you can! And it's fairly easy. In fact, the hardest part is planting it. After that, give it some water, keep it mulched a bit and you can enjoy fresh asparagus spears from March to June in central Oklahoma. And the best part? Your plants will live for about 30 years!
Purchase asparagus roots (crowns) at Lowe's, Home Depot, Farmer's Grain (in Edmond), or your local nursery. Look for "all-male" varieties, as they will give you heavier production. Each crown will produce about ½ pound per year, so consider how many plants you'd like to have.
Dig your trench about 6 inches down. Lay your roots in the trench, about 1 foot apart. Cover with soil, but don't tamp down. Water.
This year you're only going to establish the roots by allowing the spears to grow into pretty ferns that will reach about 3 feet tall. When the ferns die back this fall remove the dead foliage. Then next year when your asparagus stalks appear, harvest the stalks when they are about 5-8 inches tall, and tips are closed. (cut or break off at the soil line) Don't worry if you miss a few days harvesting. The spears will turn into ferns again giving nutrients to the roots for more growth next year.That's it. A little work for a reward that will last for years to come!
Do you like asparagus? Ever considered growing it?
Robin
LOVE asparagus. 30 years? Whoa.
ReplyDeleteDo they need full sun?
ReplyDeleteI don't like it enough to grow it. Interesting 30 years....that's investment!
ReplyDeleteI love asparagus too. How much space does it need? Can you grow it in a container? I agree w/ Donna - an investment but I think any gardening I do is an investment!
ReplyDeleteAsparagus will grow in filtered light, but really will do best in a minimum of 4 full hours of sun per day.
ReplyDeleteAsparagus has deep roots, so growing in a container won't work.
How much room does it need? Depends on how many crowns you grow. Figure a square foot per crown, with a square foot in between.