Monday I planted my asparagus root stock. I can't wait to see it sprout.

Now I venture into a veggie I've never grown. I'm excited. I know I have to let it fern out for at least the first year, maybe another as well.

I found the instructions confusing. I did the 8 inch trench and fill in as it grows thing. I put in my best compost mixed with the soil. Do you fill in as the sprouts grow?

If so, come next year, what do I have to do other than mulch? The variety I planted was Jersy Giant (males).

Please help, I don't want to screw this up.

Books often say to fill in the beds, I've seen that too. I never do though, just put some compost or something and mulch just like I do with all the perrenials. I love the asparagus foliage. Sometimes we get the asparagus in the fall too if it has been dry and then we get a lot of rain and cooler weather. I never read about that but it happened and I happily cut the asparagus for dinner.

Good luck Rockfish! The hard part is the waiting.

Ellen

Did you read the article on asparagus in one of the recent issues of OG? It says (if I recall) not to harvest any unless the ferns grew really high the previous year. The pic in the mag had ferns shoulder high! My ferns the first year went about maybe...thigh high? Don't know for sure b/c they flopped over. I guess just keep in account how well the ferns do this year.

I have one red one that grows 6 foot tall! It is a pain, always flopping in the lawn and needing to be picked up to mow around. When it starts to grow it looks very phalic. The regular green asparagus grow maybe four foot tall. Shorter than the fennel plants but taller than most else. I got some tiny roots for free two years ago and those were still only knee high last year.

Ellen

We seem to have some growing wild at the edge of one field here. I haven't inspected the thing, but my neighbour told me it was asparagus. I'll be needing to go take a look come spring. I don't have a clue right now. It sure looked ferny from the window.

I hope I'll be able to harvest some for cooking.

Asparagus roses and swine. they all want the most; most water, most food, and most sun.

Feed your new ferns liberally this year with cold compost and or cold manure. Mulch often, Water every week it doesn't rain.

Soon you will see what rather look like green #2 pencils erupt.

Next spring if your lucky they will look rather like green thumbs. Take a few in only one or at most two cuttings.

Spring three if you have contimued to manure and mulch your grass y'all aught to able to take spears for 4-6 weeks.

ecsoehng was right. The waiting is killing me. It's been weeks, and it's been warm. I'd thought I'd see at least a sprout or something.

Then today, I found some exposed roots. I knew it was my giuneas, they had been whaloing in the bed. I immediately covered them up.

The anticipation is killing me! I just want to see some reaction.

Okay, I know this is a stupid question.

Where do the spears emerge from, the ground?

I mean the plant is the ferny looking thing, right? So the *asparagus* itself, the thing we eat, is not hanging off the plant or something.

Can't wait till I can go check that thing out at the edge of the field. As soon as the snow goes away I'm going to track out there. My curiosity is killing me.

Maltese the doctrine of signatures held asparagus a medicinal due to its strong resemblance to "Mr Happy".

It do erupt from the ground. And is a popular sculptural item at some shinto shrines.

Yes, they emerge from the ground. They are basically shoots. Sort of like fiddleheads are on ferns. I have a Korean friend who harvests them every Spring and early Summer to eat.

quote:

Where do the spears emerge from, the ground?

I mean the plant is the ferny looking thing, right? So the *asparagus* itself, the thing we eat, is not hanging off the plant or something.

The spears you eat are the shoots as they first emerge from the ground. You pick them when about 8 - 10 inches tall. As they continue to grow they branch out and turn into the ferny looking plant that you see at maturity. These ferns can get to six feet tall.

You don't harvest any the first year you plant the crowns. Next spring if you get any good sized shoots go ahead and harvest some. At some point you have to stop picking it and let the ferns mature so that the roots can be built up good for the harvest next year. I usually quit picking about mid June here in zone 4/5.

About filling the trench on the newly planted crowns, I would wait until the ferns get tall. "Tall" the first year may be 2-3 feet.