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jal_ut
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Early Harvest

[img]https://donce.lofthouse.com/jamaica/asparagus_10.JPG[/img]

Asparagus is one of the first things to harvest in the spring.

rkunsaw
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We had lots of asparagus at our last home.We've been here 3 years and I finally got some planted this year.I built a 4 x 40 bed that is 14 inches deep.Planted 10 purple passion and 11( Jung sent an extra) Jersey supreme.
It's gonna be tough waiting 2 more years to pick any.
Larry

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jal_ut
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Larry, if I get any spears as large as pencils the next year, I will harvest some. I don't think it hurts it one bit. Just don't pick it too late in the season, and let it grow up tall.

Hispoptart
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Ours has been in the ground for 3 years and still nothing, we got maybe three stalks that came up this year. Whats your secret! should we pull them and start over? What type of plants? we live in N. CO Any tips would be great.

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lakngulf
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So aspargus plants return every year? I am not familiar with growing them. Sounds like they may be a good addition to our herb garden.

rkunsaw
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I don't know what works where you are,but here's how I did mine.I built my raised bed ( 4 x 40 ) an put about 3 inches of a mixture of top soil, compost,cow manure,and turkey litter in. I made a small mound to set each crown on and planted them 18 inches apart down the middle of the bed.Then I covered them with about two inches of the mixture.As they grew I kept filling in the bed (it's over half full now).The asparagus all grew and is 3 feet high now.This took 32 feet of the 40 foot bed.At the end I planted radishes and carrots.All around the perimeter I planted onions.
I hope you can get yours growing.I like asparagus!
Larry

elementfiftyfour
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I picked my first tomatoes on saturday. They are Golden Mama roma like tomatoes. Pretty sweet and they go well on sandwiches.
The berries are from that mornings pick too. Not much, but enough to enjoy a handful every morning.

[img]https://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y191/elementfiftyfour/66fddb02.jpg[/img]

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jal_ut
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Yes, asparagus is a perennial. It will come back bigger and better each year, up to a point.

It needs a sunny location. It is a heavy feeder so fertilize. Keep the weeds out. Keep it away from trees if possible. The tree roots compete severely with any garden crop. In the fall cut the tops off and mulch.

The usual planting method is to buy two year old crowns then dig a trench 8 inches deep and plant them in the trench. Only cover them with two inches of soil and wait until the plants get up well then fill the rest of the trench in. Don't get in a hurry to fill it in. It can be at the end of the growing season.

I would not try to grow asparagus in any container with a solid bottom. The root system is massive with laterals up to 4 feet long in all directions and some going as deep as ten feet.

[url=https://www.soilandhealth.org/01aglibrary/010137veg.roots/010137ch6.html]Click[/url]

Urban_Garden
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Oh wow! I'm jealous. :lol:

Those are beautiful! I was going to start asparagus but when my seeds arrived, I found out I had ordered Asparagus BEAN. XD

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gixxerific
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That looks super yummy Jal. I love asparagus but I don't think I have ever had fresh.

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BrianSkilton
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Jal those are amazing...look so good. I could go for some of those right now with a some white fish, flounder maybe. Mmmmmm. Anyway do you think I could grow asparagus in zone 4b? It gets to about -30 (some days) in the winter.

garden5
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Congratulations, Jal. Asparagus taste great; how do you plan on cooking yours?

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jal_ut
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Anyway do you think I could grow asparagus in zone 4b?
I don't know. You should ask around locally and see if anyone grows it in your area. We sometimes get - 30 degree temps too, but not every year. The snow helps to insulate the ground, but where the ground is bare the cold sure goes down.
Asparagus taste great; how do you plan on cooking yours?
Steam it.
Stirfry.
Raw with dip or in a salad.

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jal_ut
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Ours has been in the ground for 3 years and still nothing, we got maybe three stalks that came up this year. Whats your secret! should we pull them and start over? What type of plants? we live in N. CO Any tips would be great.
Those three stalks that came up are what you should eat. Harvest them when they are 8 to 10 inches tall. Cut them off at ground level. No, I would not pull them out. Cut it to the ground now and they will send up some more tender shoots for you to eat. You can harvest all the shoots that come up in the spring up until about mid June. Then about mid June let it grow up tall. Give it some fertilizer and mulch in the fall.

It sounds like some of what you planted didn't survive. I suggest planting some more. See my other post about planting. I like the Jersey Knight variety. It is all male plants and really puts out some large shoots. It may be late now, but sometimes local nurseries have 2 year old roots in April. These are the best. You might still find some one year roots at Lowe's or Walmart. You could plant some now and do OK. The problem with one year roots is, it takes another year to get large shoots for havest. There is a big difference in the size of one and two year old roots.

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jal_ut
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Egyptian Walking onions grown from fall planted bulbils.
[img]https://donce.lofthouse.com/jamaica/onion_eg_1.jpg[/img]

I had to dig these. The root system is too extensive to allow pulling.
[img]https://donce.lofthouse.com/jamaica/onion_eg_2.jpg[/img]

Cleaned up. They were planted 3 inches deep. This gives a nice white portion. Good greens too.
[img]https://donce.lofthouse.com/jamaica/onions_eg_4.jpg[/img]

These are the Mother plants that will produce loads of bulbils for me this summer.
[img]https://donce.lofthouse.com/jamaica/onions_eg_3.jpg[/img]

If you like green onions, or if you have trouble with bulbing onions, you must get some Egyptian onions.
Last edited by jal_ut on Tue May 25, 2010 7:10 pm, edited 2 times in total.

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jal_ut
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Every year I let the spinach go to seed. Next year it volunteers in the garden. Here is some volunteer spinach mixed with some curly mustard, lettuce and dill. I will have some spinach today and some curly mustard in a few days.
[img]https://donce.lofthouse.com/jamaica/spinach_voluntary.jpg[/img]

[img]https://donce.lofthouse.com/jamaica/spinach_bowl.jpg[/img]

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gixxerific
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Now you knock that off Jal. I couldn't spinach to come more than a 1/2 inch out of the ground this spring. :( Last fall it did great though.

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applestar
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I had the same problem -- 3" leaves and now they've all bolted. :roll: Had the last of them for lunch today. I think it was that early heat wave. :x

Now I'm shaking my head at a 2" button of a cauliflower head starting to blush with a hint of pink. I planted in the "warmest" part of the garden so I could plant it earlier and it would have longer grow-time but to no avail. There *may* be hope for the others in the calculated PM shade area.

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jal_ut
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Peas and Lettuce
[img]https://donce.lofthouse.com/jamaica/peas_lettuce.jpg[/img]

tedln
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Jal,

Where you live and garden, would it work to cover your asparagus beds with black plastic real early in the spring and then harvest white asparagus until the weather warms and the plants need to grow?

Ted

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farmerlon
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Asparagus ... that's on the list to add to my garden.
Your asparagus looks great jal_ut ! :D

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jal_ut
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Where you live and garden, would it work to cover your asparagus beds with black plastic real early in the spring and then harvest white asparagus until the weather warms and the plants need to grow?
I have never given it a thought to grow white asparagus.

tedln
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The black plastic may be a little to heavy for the shoots to lift. The black garden fabric may work better and let moisture through. Black garbage bags also weigh next to nothing and you can pin the corners loosely to the ground. It also would warm your beds a little faster.

I love the white asparagus. It doesn't get that woody texture near the base that green asparagus sometimes has and it has great taste.

Ted



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