ASPARAGUS 2011

Jersey Knight – This all-male variety yields the highest quality spears.  Jersey Knight performs well all across the U.S.  Jersey Knight is highly resistant to Rust, Fusarium, root rot, crown rot and Cercospora.  Male plants don’t expend energy producing seed and tend to be more vigorous than female plants.

ASPARAGUS CULTURE

Asparagus does well on mineral soils with plenty of lime or bone meal to sweeten the soil and compost mixed in.  Asparagus crown can be planted as close a one foot apart.  See to it that no two crown touch each other in the planting hole.  Crowns in contact with one-another tend to mold.  A “pyramid” of soil can be mounded and the crown set on top with the Asparagus crown “legs” hanging down the sides of the soil “pyramid”.  Crowns should be planted in a trench so the top of the crown is well below the soil surface, at least 5 inches deep.  After planting the crowns cover with only an inch or two of soil so the emerging spears can easily reach the light of day.  After the spears fern out, the trench can be filled in level with the surrounding garden soil.

     Over the years asparagus crowns tend to grow more shallow in the soil.  Each year a new crown forms over the last season’s crown and thus the crown grows closer to the soil surface each season.  Every 3 years or so it is advised to top dress the crowns with more soil.  Over several years a raised bed will actually become apparent.  The reason for this is that asparagus needs 3 to 5 inches (or more) of soil maintained over the cown so the spears will develop a good thick caliper as they force their way to the light of day.  Spindly spears are more likely the result of shallow crowns, than lack of fertility.  Asparagus roots can grow extremely deep in the soil and reach water and nutrients below the root zone of most plants.  Established beds are extremely drought resistant and have very low fertilizer needs, compared to most crops. 

     Avoid deep cultivation that can injure the crown.  Asparagus crowns develop special carbohydrate storage roots that are tuber like and can be severely damaged by deep cultivation.  A good tip is to maintain about 5 inches of soil over your crowns and cultivate 2 to 3 inches deep for weed control when the crowns are dormant.

      In the spring quit harvesting in time to leave several spears on each plant to fern out and grow over the summer.  A good rule of thumb is to harvest no more than 6 weeks.  If all the spears are cut, the crown will die.  In the home garden the smaller, more spindly spears can be left for insurance!  In our area quit harvesting by May 15^th.  In the home garden we like to “snap” the spear off with our finger tips.  If the spear just bends instead of snapping off in the hand, reach a bit higher on the spear and try again.  Once one locates the portion of the spear that will snap off in the hand, one can bet the spears just picked will be tender and not tough and stringy.  Large caliper spears that are tough can be peeled or “skinned”.