Polk County Master Gardeners
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Asparagus
An asparagus bed is a long-term project, but those first spears poking
through the soil in early spring make it worth the effort, and a well-prepared
asparagus bed can be productive for 15 to 20 years. Recent research has shown
that a lot of the procedures that my father followed so faithfully (and with so
much labor) are really unnecessary.
Asparagus does require good drainage and prefers a soil pH of 6.5 to 7.5, so
have your soil tested (check with the local Polk County Cooperative Extension
office at 394-6018 for instructions on taking soil samples). There is no charge
for the testing and it can save you much work and money down the line. Follow
the instructions that come with your soil test results for fertilization and pH
correction.
Buy one-year-old healthy, disease-free crowns (the root system of a
one-year-old asparagus plant) from a reputable crown grower. Check with your
local nursery or search for “asparagus growing” on the web. Each crown can
produce half a pound of spears per year after they are fully established.
Be sure that you select some of the new all-male hybrid asparagus varieties
such as Jersey Giant, Jersey Prince, or Jersey Knight. The male plants produce
more spears and do not produce seeds that in turn produce more ferns than your
space can handle.
Dig a furrow 5 to 6 inches deep and apply about one pound of 0-46-0 (triple
superphosphate) or two pounds of 0-20-0 (superphosphate) fertilizer for each 50
feet of row in the bottom to make the fertilizer immediately available to the
crowns.
Place the crowns in the furrow on top of the fertilizer - it will not burn the
crowns. Space them about 18 inches apart in the row. Space rows about 5 feet
apart. After planting, back fill the furrow to its original soil level, but do
not compact the soil.
Do not harvest during the planting year. The plant will develop ferns that
produce food for the crown for future production. The next year you can harvest
7 to 9 inch spears for a three-week period; the following year for a 4 to 6 week
period; thereafter, you can harvest for a 6 to 8 week period. Snap off the
spears at ground level so that you do not damage the crowns with a knife.
If you have the patience to prepare the beds and wait for them to grow, you
can enjoy that wonderful fresh asparagus for many years to come.
By Barbara M. Tobias
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