Growing Asparagus.
I can't think of any other veggie subject to as many misconceptions as asparagus. Thought by many to be likely to be hard to grow, it is one of the hardiest of all veggies. While I have never seen it growing in the wild to the point that it would be considered too much of a weed, it is one of the few garden veggies that can survive in the wild, globe artichokes being the only other I can think of (bet I get a few more obvious ones pointed out!)
Asparagus needs a couple of years to establish before it can be harvested, but once established it is a good producer of succulent sticks at a time of year when variety from the garden can be limited.
For the first couple of years let the plants develop their "fern" then when it is producing finger thickness spears start harvesting as soon as they appear in the spring. A light harvest in the third season and then possibly harvesting till early December, depending on how the plants are hanging in. When spear production starts to diminish, let it go to fern. GROWING IT First question, HYBRID or NON-HYBRID? Nearly all commercial plantings today are hybrid; these may out-produce traditional non hybrid varieties under commercial management,particularly with synthetic fertilizers. Hybrid varieties, in addition to potentially out-producing non-hybrid, would be expected to come into production perhaps a year earlier than non-hybrid. One of the main reasons for plantings of hybrids is that the hybrids keep a more compact head in a taller spear and thus look better on the supermarket shelf. FLAVOUR Commercial asparagus growers I have spoken to have said they preferred the flavour of the non-hybrid varieties. The main reason they are growing the hybrid is for the more compact head and to a lesser degree, increased production under commercial management. HARDINESS The seed set on the hybrid plants is still very viable, often germinating in a green carpet amongst the rows of asparagus, however all asparagus surviving in the wild I am aware of date from plantings of non-hybrid varieties. The apparent absence of hybrid escapes to the wild suggests to me that the non-hybrid varieties may require less water and be much hardier and also quite likely more suited to organic management. SOMEONES GOTTA DO IT. I am only aware of four varieties of non-hybrid asparagus left in Australia, Mary Washington (most mail order seed companies), Conovers Colosal (from Eden Seeds), a purple skinned variety from Phoenix Seeds and Ida Lee, still being grown commercially by one grower. If people don't grow the non-hybrids we'll lose them, however it's not going to take a lot of gardeners to maintain the asparagus varieties left so I'm not telling you to all go out and do it. So, decide if you want to grow hybrid or non hybrid and decide if you would like to save seed some time in the future, perhaps you might like to grow three different varieties and save seed as well. Second decision, to grow from CROWNS or SEED? Crowns can be bought from a lot of nurseries and a few mail order suppliers, prices perhaps in the order of $1.50 to $2.00 each and this will give a harvest a year earlier than starting from seed. New Gippsland Seeds sell one year old crowns of either UC157 Hybrid or non-hybrid Mary Washington 500. They also sell seed of both varieties and this is a far cheaper way to go (but takes a year longer). New Gippsland Seeds, P.O. Box 1 Silvan 3795 03 9737 9560 [email protected] www.possumpages.com.au/newgipps/index.htm Third question, would you like to SAVE SEED at some time in the future? Asparagus produces male and female flowers on separate plants and seeds won't set on the female plants unless male plants are flowering within range of pollinating insects (sorry about the obvious). Tradition has it that the male plants are more productive, however this may not necessarily be the case if females are grown in the absence of males as they wouldn't be putting energy into seed. Male seedlings may have thicker stems than females, even at a very early age (month old seedlings), and dormant female crowns may have more buds than the male crowns. If you don't intend saving seed there can be advantages in only growing plants of one sex as it eliminates seedlings coming up throughout the garden. If you grow your own seedlings then you can keep them in pots for the first year and they should flower and the female plants should set a few berries. You could then separate them and only plant one sex if that is your intention, perhaps giving the other half to another gardener. You could even plant separate rows of male and female and let one go to fern before the other if you didn't want seed to set and let them go together if you do want seed. Two or three varieties could be grown side by side and seed saved without different varieties crossing if they were planted with males and females in separate rows and they be let go to fern according to desire. |
PLANTING.
Plant one year old crowns about 25cm apart in double rows about 70cm apart. Like many other plantings, learn from the bees and their honey comb spacing- * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 70cm * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Asparagus beds may produce for 30-50 years (hybrids uncertain) so some preparation would be worth while. In heavy or clay soil then it could be best if the beds were worked for a year or two before the crowns planted. Grow annuals in the beds for a couple of years and work the soil as deep as you can with a fork, loosening, not turning it over. Plant the crowns perhaps 50mm deep and give it a light mulch every autumn. The forking may not be as necessary in lighter well drained soils, mulching being more important. A COUPLE OF MISCONCEPTIONS 1. 'You should cut the spears below the surface.' I've heard this from numerous gardening personalities on the radio and recently read it in an article on growing asparagus in a gardening mag. Asparagus is commercially grown in quite large acreages, with pickers often doing from 10 to 15 km of asparagus rows. This is a long way to be walking sideways continually cutting with a flat ended knife on a 75cm handle. The asparagus has to be cut before the day heats up so it has to be done quickly. If it is cut above the surface the stump dries up and becomes hard, making it hard to quickly cut amongst the stumps. Also, if you try to cut it quickly above the ground with the type of knife used in commercial harvesting then a lot of stems break. If there is no need for speed then there is no need for the home gardener to cut the spears below the soil surface that I am aware of. 2. ' It should be planted in trenches and the trenches filled in when the plants get a bit of size on them.' I have read that it should be planted to a depth of perhaps 30cm (same mag). Many years ago when asparagus was grown for canning it was often planted in this manner. As soon as the tip came through the surface the picker poked their knife down very deep and cut the spear as low as they could. This gave a spear, perhaps 20cm long that was perfectly white and looked good in the can. I have never seen or tasted such white asparagus from a can, however I have eaten the underground white portion of a spear and it could be best described as quite ordinary. Today asparagus is normally planted a few centimetres below the soil surface and as the spears start to come up in spring they are hilled up to give perhaps 10cm of soil over the crowns. This allows the picker to easily cut the spears below the soil surface without hitting the crowns. Also, asparagus seems to put up less thinner spears and more thicker ones if it has at least 5cm of soil over the crowns. About 10cm soil cover could be the ideal for the home gardener. |
Non-profit groups such as garden groups, organic groups, permaculture groups or similar are encouraged to distribute this material by computer printouts or photostatting. Groups are encouraged to make their own pamphlets to photocopy and sell for profits for their group.
It is asked that anyone intending to use this information in commercially published form ask the permission of Neil Barraclough RMB 1477 Stratford Australia.
Copyright 19/5/2001 14/08/08
It is asked that anyone intending to use this information in commercially published form ask the permission of Neil Barraclough RMB 1477 Stratford Australia.
Copyright 19/5/2001 14/08/08