Asparagus Bed

[Durgan]

Asparagus Bed.

http://www.durgan.org/URL/?asparagus 16 May 2008 Making Asparagus bed.Note: the year should be 2008 not 2006.
The bed is 41 inches by 102 inches by 12 inches deep. About a cubic yard of soil was removed. Time taken three hours from start to finish. Compost, sand and a bit ot bone meal was added and mixed prior to planting the Asparagus Millenium Rhizomes. There were a total of eleven rhizomes. The bed will be filled in with compost, sand and a bit of normal soil as the plant grows. The rhizomes were spaced about 16 inches apart, and covered with two inches of soil, with the crown just protruding above the soil level.

http://www.durgan.org/URL/?Millenium 6 August 2008 Asparagus (Millennium)
This indicates the growth over the summer. The bed was gradually filled in with good soil, as the asparagus fern stems grew.

http://www.durgan.org/URL/?AspafragusS 29 May 2009 Asparagus (Millennium)
It appears nine of eleven plant survived the first year. I suspect one end of the bed is too wet.

http://www.durgan.org/URL/?AsparagusJ 18 June 2009 Asparagus (Millennium)
All originally planted eleven plants are now growing. The end of the bed with slow growth may be due to being wetter at that end.

http://www.durgan.org/URL/?MNJPH 13 September 2009 Asparagus bed.
Growth is excellent for one year. The bed was planted in May 2008. Only a few spears will be taken in 2010, then the main harvest will begin in the Spring of 2011.

[Peggy Sue]

I tried Asparagus from seed last spring, I know it's a long term project but I love asparagus and have no plansd to give up the allotment so went for it.
At first I couldn't get the seed to germinate, gave up and dumped it outside the back door where I forgot about ti for ages. It got really dry then I decided to use the compost to sew other stuff, in amongst the tomatoes I noticed asparagus coming up!

I think every seed I planted germinated, just very slowly (and under horrible conditions!). They are all out on the allotment now and happily survive hot/cold/wet/dry/dog abuse. Looking forward to 2 years time