Asparagus bed #1

[vgqn]

I planted the first asparagus bed today. magscanner dug the trenches for me. I started, but this dang cold (a mild, boring cold which seemed to have gone away last week then came back yesterday) has dragged me out. I spread lots of compost & alfalfa pellets, backfilled with a little of the dirt, made mounds as directed, spread the crowns over the mounds, then covered the whole shebang with 1-2" of dirt. Watered in well. There's more dirt waiting to go back in the bed as they start growing -- more than will fit back in the bed, it looks like. Dirt always expands on digging.

This is only 8 plants, and at least 2 different sources recommend 8-10 plants per person in the household, so it's not clear this will really satisfy our asparagus jones. And yet, the fellow at the nursery was surprised that I wanted to buy 2 boxes (8/box). Anyhow, I'll see if these come up again next spring and can plant more the following winter if they work.

One bed down, one to go.

Comments

[coth.livejournal.com]

8-10 plants per person? We have two or three plants altogether. They come up faithfully each year, but do not seem to increase, and I've never dared harvest a single spear...

BTW: Barbara Kingsolver talks about asparagus in the January chapter of Animal, Vegetable, Miracle.

[galacticvoyeur.livejournal.com]

I planted about 12 crowns in the Toad Hall back garden, where I'd double-dug down below the old motor oil level of the soil and backfilled with compost. They did pretty well but eventually got weed-choked after a couple seasons of neglect. The new owner has now plowed under everything we'd done, including the beautiful prairie on the Blaisdell Boulevard, and tossed out my custom built cedar compost bins for good measure...

On the other hand, this next summer will be Marjorie's & my 5th in this little hillside cabana of ours in far Northeast. The former owners had a laid down good planting of asparagus in the lowest terrace (which was in the real estate description!) and every year they spread a little further. We compost them heavily and have all we can eat, with extra to share with the kids, until we eventually lose the battle with the fronds and they go all feathery on us.

With your green thumb and awesome gardening instincts I am sure you will succeed beyond your wildest dreams in this project!

[vgqn.livejournal.com]

Bummer about the garden and bins! I've known people who have actually moved their compost piles (and garden soil, even), knowing that the next owners wouldn't appreciate it.

I envy you having an already established asparagus bed. Hope mine takes this time!