countrykat
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Joined: Thu Oct 11, 2012 4:43 am
Location: ohio

Asparagus

I will be able to harvest my jersey asparagus next year (4 years old) for the first time. I have approx 75 ferns right now. I would like to put in some sweet purple so I have a couple varieties. My question is they are seeds. Can I put them in the ground after they sprout or is there simply not enough time to develop before it gets colds? I'm in zone 6

tomc
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Joined: Sun Apr 10, 2011 2:52 am
Location: SE-OH USA Zone 6-A

Asparagus can live for a year in a germinating pan, or divided into cells. If fall gets here before you have a bed ready, berm the pot in the garden up to the rim, cover over with mulch to await spring.

Your hardest part is going to be to be able to notice the tiny baby fern. It is a shadow of its adult self. IMO a liberal mulch of grass clippings or hay-straw helps tiny ferns stand out as well as keeps down weeds.

Asparagus and rose are the swine of a garden, They want the most sun water manure and mulch, They will suffer for the lack.

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jal_ut
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Joined: Sun Jan 18, 2009 10:20 pm
Location: Northern Utah Zone 5

I would put them in the ground where you want the permanent bed to be. I like to dig an 8 inch deep trench and put the crowns in and cover them with a couple inches of soil then when the ferns are grown tall, finish filling in the trench.

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applestar
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Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)

I Uppotted the seedlings that were started in 4" pots to 1/2 gallon pots and let them overwinter outside in sheltered area. That seemed to work. I planted them the following spring after they started to grow.



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