Asparagus
The taste of spring
Nothing beats the taste of asparagus picked fresh from your garden. Once you have tasted homegrown, you’ll never go back!
Harvest year after year
Ensure you plant the asparagus crowns in a spot that you can leave undisturbed. Asparagus crowns can keep producing for up to 20 years and produce more spears each year.
Site Requirements
Good soil preparation essential, free draining light soil is ideal
Remove all perennial weeds
Dig in peat / compost in clay soils to assist drainage – raised planting in heavy wet soils is the best method.
Dig furrow 30cm wide, 20-25cm deep
Work in ican Organic Vege Food, as per instructions on packet
Leave 1 metre between rows
Plant crowns at 40cm spacing
Cover with 5cm of soil
Gradually fill in furrow as young spears appear
Leave top of spear showing above soil
Harvesting
Do not cut spears in first 2 years
Cut spears 3cm below soil surface when 15-22cm long
In third year cut spears over 2 week period
Expand this out to a 10 week period mid-September – end of November after about 5 years
Plants go into fern stage early December onwards
As fern turns yellow at end of April cut down and remove
Asparagus is a perennial and will last in ground for up to 20 years
Pests & Diseases
Asparagus is generally unaffected by many pests and diseases
Can sometimes be affected by slugs and snails and rust
Pest & Disease Control
Quash Slug and Snail pellets
FreeFlo Copper and Enspray 99 for rust.