Growing Asparagus by Byron Chitwood
Asparagus is one of the very first things that can be harvested out of your garden plot. Almost everybody loves the flavor of fresh asparagus and it can be prepared and eaten in a variety of ways. It can be eaten raw, boiled, stir fried, cooked with other vegetables and can be frozen for future use.
A well prepared and tended asparagus bed will last for many years and requires a minimum amount of upkeep once it is established. For the average family of about four people, a bed that is 4X4 or 6X6 feet should be sufficient to feed the family throughout the growing season. The only drawback to starting an asparagus bed is the recommendation that none is cut the first year. Then only a small amount can be harvested the second year. The third year, it can be fully harvested for about six weeks. Then, the shoots are left alone and will grow to ferns which are very attractive.
The first step for planning an asparagus bed is site selection. Asparagus like most other vegetables prefer full sunlight throughout the day and a location that is well drained. When you have located the site, fully till the soil and dig trenches about 1 ½ feet apart six or more inches deep and set the dug soil aside on a plastic sheet or tarp. Then, put down a one inch layer of composted material in the very bottom of the trench. If you have purchased root stock, lay these out on the bottom of the trench following the directions furnished with the packaged roots. Cover the roots with a one inch layer of compost. Then, add about an inch of the reserved soil, then some more compost followed by another inch of soil until the roots have been covered by about 4 to six inches of this “Lasagna” layering arrangement. In about 4 weeks, the spears will begin to emerge. Add some more “lasagna” and keep repeating this process until all the reserved soil is used.
As mentioned before, it takes about 2 years for the bed to become fully established before any asparagus should be harvested. Some varieties are advertised as some harvesting can begin in the second year of growth. Apply high nitrogen fertilizer which is also the slow release product. Keep well watered and add some more compost each year. With this tender loving care, an asparagus bed can last almost indefinitely.
There are many varieties of asparagus available and it can be purchased as roots or seeds. I typed in “asparagus” on my computer and found many sites that sell both roots and seeds. One of the sites offered the following varieties: Mary Washington; Purple Passion; Jersey Knight and Jersey Supreme. The Jersey King was advertised as being the one that produced earliest in the season. If you have some fellow gardeners that are interested in establishing an asparagus bed, you might be interested in buying several different varieties together and each of you plant a mixture.
Back to the Purple Passion variety, it was advertised as being a purple variety that looks great in salads and as snacks at parties which might stir up a lot of conversation and even maybe some passion, about gardening, that is.