Grow Like a Pro no. 3: How to grow succulent asparagus & cultivate your patience

ABOUT this time last year, I took the plunge and included Asparagus officinalis `Sweet Purple’ on the list of edibles I planned to grow from seed. Excited by the prospect of harvesting my own nutty flavoured, deep burgundy spears for the next couple of decades, I have to admit I was daunted by the patience required to see these perennial vegetables through their infant years.

You see planting an asparagus patch is the gardening equivalent of becoming a parent. It’s a real commitment that requires foresight and a watchful eye. As a perennial, this graceful ferny plant needs permanent lodgings for a potential lifespan of several decades, so prepare your soil and choose your spot wisely. If container gardening is your only option, pick a nice deep trough positioned in full sun, adding a rich, well-draining but moisture retentive soil. Mixing through a product such as 5 in 1 will increase organic matter in the soil, helping it to feed your plants as well as hold moisture but still be free draining. Visit us at Four Seasons Nursery for all you manure needs.

As a gardener, the real test of your love of asparagus comes with the appearance of your first succulent shoots in spring. You mustn’t pick any for at least two years! Giving your asparagus crown time to build up its root system - three years is usual - in preparation for its years of productivity ahead, will test your patience, but the thrill of snapping off a spear which requires nothing but a light steaming before hitting your plate, will make you glad of your nurturing efforts.

Be prepared for a touch of seasonal maintenance in the early years, especially if female asparagus plants are revealed, producing bright clusters of tiny red seed berries in the first  year. Some gardeners will remove the girls (which produce pretty but much thinner spears than their fat male counterparts) and fill in the gaps with two year old male crowns. Others use the seed to create more plants.

For a decent supply of fresh spears throughout the growing season plant a dozen crowns per person. This will mean dedicating a good bit of room (see Step 2 below) to accommodate your asparagus patch and the beautiful drift of ferny foliage which will develop.

Follow these steps to Grow Asparagus From Seed. If you can’t muster the patience, plant two year old male crowns and harvest half of its spears the following spring. By the fourth spring you can get picking! But remember, never ever deplete all of the spears in the bed as this will eventually weaken the root system.

1.  Sow seeds in Spring when the soil temperature is around 25C (this can take up to 21 days, so don’t give up!). Fill a seed tray with a suitable seed-raising mix and place your seeds in manageable rows, covering them lightly with 5mm of soil.

2.  Transplant seedlings to 45cm apart in furrows about 20cm deep by 30cm wide, into deep, rich, well drained soil. Any rows should be 1.2m apart. Asparagus likes neutral or alkaline soil (6.5pH), so adding a touch of lime 3 weeks prior to planting can help balance any acidity in the bed.

3.  Fill in the trench as the seedlings grow taller, taking care to create enough support for the mass of ferny foliage which will develop up to 1.5m high.

4.  Remove female berry-producing plants in Autumn after the 1st year to prevent self-sowing and extra plants choking your bed.

5.  Mulch the bed with composted manure in Winter to feed the crowns ready for their spear production the following Spring.

6.  Harvesting should be avoided for the first 2 years, to allow the crowns to build up their strength. In the third year, harvest approximately half of the spears.

FAST FACTS

Named by the Ancient Greeks for it’s spear-shaped shoots, Asparagus officinalis is native to Central and Western Asia, Europe and North Africa. A known diuretic, long prized for its delicate nutty flavour, it was cultivated by the Ancient Egyptians and the Romans who believed it to be the King of Vegetables. To this day, it is associated with wealth and elegance - especially the white variety (which is the same plant grown underground without sunlight). It is a cool climate herbacious perennial which is not suitable for the tropics, but is ideal for coastal and sandy regions.

Happy Planting

Lynsey

For more information visit us at Four Seasons Nursery, 200 Forest Way Belrose

What goes in the veggie patch this winter

Hi Girls and Guys,

Just because you can't grow your tomatoes anymore doesn't mean you can't grow anything. For the last couple of years I've been very lazy, leaving my veggie patch to become weed infested throughout the winter then spending a few day preparing it for the summer and letting it go again. Heres a list of things that will go great in your veggie patch over winter making it productive 12 months of the year!

[caption id="attachment_181" align="alignright" width="117"] Carrot - great with roasts, salads or in stew[/caption]

When it comes to the cooler months, and what to plant think of all your winter favourites! What goes well with a roast chicken or a leg of lamb??? Things like Broccoli, Cauliflower, Carrots, Broad Beans, Red Onions and all the different types of peas, snow peas, snap peas and podded peas.

But these aren’t the only herbs and veges that love the cooler months, don’t forget all your leafy vegetables such as Rainbow Chard, Spring Onions, Leeks, Beetroot, Kohlrabi, Cabbage and all the different Asian greens such as Pak Choy and Bok Choy. Lettuce loves winter too so maybe get experimental and try growing some Cos, Mini Cos, Varying colours of Coral and Butterhead and my favourite the peppery taste of Rocket!

[caption id="attachment_180" align="alignleft" width="150"] Its all the colours of the rainbow with Rainbow Chard[/caption]

Garlic bulbs are a good idea to plant if you use a lot of garlic in the kitchen amongst Bolognese or over your Prawns split the bulb into individual cloves and they should be ready for harvest late spring early summer look for the foliage dying back and remember to keep the biggest and best one to replant next year!

Herbs can be hit and miss over the cooler months with cold wet feet and cold nights sounding the death kneel for herbs such as most basil’s (perennial and greek will still grow okay but lack the flavoursome punch of sweet basil) and others such as oregano, BUT maybe try growing Chervil, Fennel and now is the best time to grow the sometimes troublesome Coriander.

Many of these winter favourites now are available in dwarf varieties as well for those of you who are planting in smaller garden beds or in pots on balconies or for the adventurous using them in a wall gardens!

[caption id="attachment_179" align="alignright" width="112"] Don't forget the Seasol[/caption]

As its cools you may want to also think of using a liquid food to fertilize as it is available for the plants to use straight away. It is also a good idea to apply it over the foliage of the plants and at the same time mixing your liquid foods with seasol (a plant tonic) to increase pest and disease resistance!

On the topic of pest and diseases over winter you may want to keep an eye out for snails, slugs and caterpillars. For the slugs and snails a liberal sprinkling of snail bait (available now in child and pet friendly forms) or for those of you who use pots using a copper barrier tape around the top of the pot will stop the pesky buggers from getting in their. For your caterpillars, aphids and other insects that appear in the garden over winter try using a natural pyrethrum spray, which is made from the pyrethrum daisy and is safe for us, but will stop them dead!

Until next time happy gardening and happy eating 

Steve