So woke up this morning, and I am depressed. All the snow was gone, had melted before and then we got more last night. Larry was only thinking 1-3 inches but looks like 4" ...darn. Will this count as March coming in like a Lion? Hope so then goes out like a Lamb. So let us still talk about gardening and ASPARAGUS today.
I will have asparagus crowns here this spring. That is a perennial vegetable either you love or don't like, but our family loves eating asparagus. I am lucky enough to have an old bed right outside the greenhouse, so just cutting them is the problem sometimes. You want to put out an asparagus bed, and it isn't hard, but as with the strawberries you need to keep it weed free as the asparagus doesn't want to compete with weeds very well. When you come and get your crowns, I will show you how to plant but will explain it here if I can. One plant every 12", you dig a trench 6" deep and put the crown down 6". I want you to just barely cover the crown and as it grows you will cover more of the asparagus till you have it all covered. I will show you the growing part to look for when it comes out of the dirt. If you put it 6" down and completely cover it, that is too much dirt for the small growing tip to push thru, so need to add the dirt as the spear grows.
Now the hard part, you have to wait till the 3rd year before you can harvest, as the asparagus needs to get established. Then you can harvest some lovely stocks, and enjoy this vegetable you have raised yourself. How long can I harvest the asparagus? Cutting the asparagus is in debate some say till June 4th and others say till July 4th. Remember to cut below the dirt line, so that will signal the plant to grow again. After you are done cutting, then let the asparagus grow and only keep the weeds down so they can grow and develop for next year.
Discussion about cutting back in the winter...I have read and we have done it both ways here. Cut back after the killing frost and they are dead, or cut back in the early spring so the new crop can grow. I have heard of some putting down salt to keep the weeds down. This works, but you know who else loves salt...DEER. So if you have any deer in the area, they will eat the dirt, paw the dirt for the salt and that will ruin your asparagus bed. So I am afraid it will be keeping the weeds down by mulching, hoeing and weeding.
Good website saying the same thing I am saying
http://gardening.about.com/od/plantprofil2/p/AsparagusProfil.htm
Till next time, this is Becky Litterer from Becky's Greenhouse, Dougherty Iowa
I will have asparagus crowns here this spring. That is a perennial vegetable either you love or don't like, but our family loves eating asparagus. I am lucky enough to have an old bed right outside the greenhouse, so just cutting them is the problem sometimes. You want to put out an asparagus bed, and it isn't hard, but as with the strawberries you need to keep it weed free as the asparagus doesn't want to compete with weeds very well. When you come and get your crowns, I will show you how to plant but will explain it here if I can. One plant every 12", you dig a trench 6" deep and put the crown down 6". I want you to just barely cover the crown and as it grows you will cover more of the asparagus till you have it all covered. I will show you the growing part to look for when it comes out of the dirt. If you put it 6" down and completely cover it, that is too much dirt for the small growing tip to push thru, so need to add the dirt as the spear grows.
Now the hard part, you have to wait till the 3rd year before you can harvest, as the asparagus needs to get established. Then you can harvest some lovely stocks, and enjoy this vegetable you have raised yourself. How long can I harvest the asparagus? Cutting the asparagus is in debate some say till June 4th and others say till July 4th. Remember to cut below the dirt line, so that will signal the plant to grow again. After you are done cutting, then let the asparagus grow and only keep the weeds down so they can grow and develop for next year.
Discussion about cutting back in the winter...I have read and we have done it both ways here. Cut back after the killing frost and they are dead, or cut back in the early spring so the new crop can grow. I have heard of some putting down salt to keep the weeds down. This works, but you know who else loves salt...DEER. So if you have any deer in the area, they will eat the dirt, paw the dirt for the salt and that will ruin your asparagus bed. So I am afraid it will be keeping the weeds down by mulching, hoeing and weeding.
Good website saying the same thing I am saying
http://gardening.about.com/od/plantprofil2/p/AsparagusProfil.htm
Till next time, this is Becky Litterer from Becky's Greenhouse, Dougherty Iowa
