Down to Earth All About

So you want to grow asparagus.

Such a delicious, high end vegetable must be extremely hard to grow – not true. Asparagus is one of the easier crops to grow. It is a reliable perennial that is hardy to Zone 3; that includes all of you gardeners on the coast of Labrador. The plants are a bit of an initial investment, but so, so worth it.

Many new gardeners take the seed approach. That is, they purchase a pack of seed thinking they will be eating asparagus the same year. It is easy to grow from seed, but it will take three to five years to harvest. Another option is to buy roots. These often come as a prepackaged item, and when you see these in a plastic bag, it is hard to know what conditions they have been stored under. Look for signs of moisture and mould inside the bag. Roots should be healthy and pliable and showing slight signs of growth. If they have sprouted too much, the plant is showing signs of stress and is throwing out a last-ditch effort at growing and trying to reproduce. You want a slightly green nub that should not be more than an inch long. The better approach is to buy already established plants from a reputable nursery; roots that have been potted and properly maintained will give you the best results. These may be purchased in the full growth stage, as they have been growing in fertile soil and been properly maintained. You can see what you are getting.

Preparing the Asparagus Bed

Choose an area with full sun and good drainage. Asparagus does not like to have wet feet.

Dig the bed to a depth of 12"-15" so that the roots have lots of nice, loose tilth to root out in.

Organic matter is a must. Asparagus thrives in rich, loose soil. Be sure to dig in lots of compost, composted manure or seaweed.

This plant needs lots of phosphorous, so be sure to dig in some bone meal or rock phosphate. Plant crowns about 15" apart. Be sure to have the crowns placed at least 2" underground, and add new soil or compost every year to keep the crowns protected. Water well and be sure to keep your plants well hydrated during droughts.

Maintaining Asparagus Beds

Keeping the bed weed-free is essential. Weeds are especially troublesome in perennial plants and must be removed before getting anchored in. Weed often and with tenacity. Keeping asparagus mulched will help to reduce weeds. Hay, grass clippings or mulch chips are great choices, and all will decompose and add humus to your soil. Once early winter hits, you can cut off the fronds and put your asparagus to bed for the winter. Removing the dead material will interrupt any life cycling of insects and disease. Cover the bed with an inch of well-rotted compost, and mulch with 3" of straw or rotted sawdust.

Harvesting

Asparagus spears are harvested in spring. The time of harvest depends on soil temperature, but here in western Newfoundland, mid- to late May or early June is the time to start picking. Snap the spears off at soil level when they are about 7 inches long. Harvest sparingly the first and second years, but you should be able to hack away at it by year three. Don’t be greedy. At some point you have to let the fronds grow so that your plants have something to sustain them throughout the year.

Pests

Asparagus beetles can be troublesome but are fairly easy to control. You may mistake them for ladybugs due to their colouring, but they are longer and skinnier. Their eggs look like tiny hairs and are easy enough to overlook. If you spot these tiny eggs, blast your plants with a hose or go at them with a broom. This will cause the eggs, larva and adults to fall to the ground and once there, the young’uns are unable to find their way back up the plant. The adults can fly, so they must be squished or drowned in soapy water. Alternatively, chickens will clean up these pests. One more good reason to have chickens! If you do not get these pests under control they will eat the fronds, which will kill your plants over a two- or three-year period. Slugs are a nuisance, too. If you go out at night with a flashlight you will see your spears covered with these slimy creatures. You can hand pick them (ugh!) if you get some satisfaction from that, or you can put out some organic slug bait to solve the problem.

White Asparagus?

It’s not a variety, but rather asparagus grown in the absence of light. If you like the less fibrous white type, hill your spears up with soil or cover them to keep the light out.

How many should you plant?

It depends on how much you like it. One crown produces about a half-pound of spears. Start with a dozen and add a few more to your bed each year; once you see how easy this is to grow, you will be wanting to expand your bed.

Got a gardening question for Kim? Send her an email anytime at downtoearth@downhomelife.com.

Kim Thistle owns a garden centre and landscaping business on the west coast of the island. She has also been a recurring guest gardener on CBC’s “Crosstalk” for almost three decades.