grow asparagus

The asparagus bed is doing well, but I really need to put in some Jersey cultivars.

Next spring we can harvest for a couple of weeks!

The asparagus bed is doing well, but I really need to put in some Jersey cultivars.

Next spring we can harvest for a couple of weeks!

I put in five or six crowns, and it turned a bit rainy and cold right away, so I wasn’t too surprised when they didn’t sprout up too quickly. But now we’ve had a week of near-record heat, and only two tough little spears (both from the same crown) have pushed their way up. I’ve layered compost on them four times and now they’re above the garden level just a bit.

The other crowns—who knows. If they don’t sprout, I’ll replace them with more modern varieties with the all-male sprouts. (I put in Martha Washingtons because that’s what there was available besides the purple variety. I may regret it when they sprout all over that part of the garden.)

I did it. I planted six asparagus starts. Not much, just an eight-foot section at the back of the garden where there’s probably not enough sun. But I did it. And the trees that make the excess shade will probably come down at some point.

I’m waiting for them to poke their tips out of the soil so I can bury them again. Planting asparagus – just PLANTING it – is a long process!

I’ve wanted to grow asparagus for a long time, and I’ve hesitated because of the stupidest thing—the length of time it takes to establish. Same problem with peonies. Starts for both can be expensive and I just balk at the thought that I’ll spend a fair amount on them and not see the results for a couple of years. How dumb is that?

As a kid, I went with my folks every spring and picked asparagus by the roadsides. Now I buy it on sale, which still means it costs too much, and it doesn’t taste nearly as good.

In the spring, I’m digging up a bed and starting some.