PLANTING THE CROWNS

Preparing the soil well before planting is important because the asparagus will be growing in this spot for many years. Sandy soils are best for asparagus growing but if you don’t have this type of soil, dig over what you have well and add well-rotted garden compost, manure or other organic matter at the same time. Remove as much perennial weed and roots as you can. It will not be easy to do this after planting. A week before planting apply 56g (2oz) per sq m/yd of a general fertiliser such as pelleted chicken manure or Growmore.

When your crowns arrive do plant as soon as possible as they can dry out. If you

Growing On

can’t, just loosely cover in some earth or put in boxes of damp compost. Dig a trench about 30cm (12in) wide, or at least wide enough to accommodate the roots without bending them and about 20cm (8in) deep. Add a mound of gritty soil (add some horticultural grit if you have some) to the bottom of the trench about 8cm (3in) deep. e spider-like roots are splayed out evenly over this mound to help water drain away from the central area of the crown. Plant the crowns 45cm (18in) apart with rows 1m (3ft) apart. Cover the crowns with 5cm (2in) of soil, gradually topping up until the trench is lled as the shoots develop.

Watch Out For

Asparagus beetle: The beetles are small (6mm/¼ in) long and reddish brown with six distinctive yellow spots on their backs. The plump maggots will feed on the ferns, quickly stripping them and weakening the plants if allowed to continue. Pick off light infestations or in severe cases consider spraying with a suitable insecticide.

Slugs: Can be very damaging as the spears emerge. Apply a biological control once the soil reaches 5C (40F) or once the spears start to emerge.

Don’t cut any spears in the rst year as the plants need all the growth they can to help establish the crowns. Just let the ferny growth do its thing. You could take just one spear per plant for a taster. Keep weeding the bed by hand so as not to damage the roots and water during dry summer spells. Support the ferny growth using a bean net stretched horizontally over the crop on stakes. It will stop the stems snapping in strong winds. In autumn, when they turn yellow, remove the ferns to just above soil level and top the beds with a layer of garden compost or manure. In February apply a dressing of general fertiliser at the rate above.

Harvesting

Cropping can start in year two when you can take a few spears and in year three onwards you can harvest as many as you need when the spears are 10-15cm (4-6in) long. Cut a few inches below soil level with a sharp knife. Stop cutting the spears in mid-June and allow the rest to grow into the tall ferns which will feed the crowns for next spring.

Let asparagus ferns grow after cutting has finished

Varieties To Try

‘Gijnlim’: Produces masses of succulent green spears. It can also be grown as a white asparagus if the plants are covered with sandy soil just before they are about to push through the ground.

‘Burgundine’: A relatively new purple variety which has a sweet flavour and low fibre content so the spears can even be eaten raw.

‘Guelph Millennium’: A later variety which has great vigour. One of the hardiest varieties you can grow and is more tolerant of different soil types.