You all can tell I'm thinking gardening! All the seed catalogs are coming in and I'm getting anxious! My question is about asparagus. I've never grown it before and I plan to start an asparagus bed this year. I'm wondering if the plants increase every year or if what I originally plant is it? This might sound dumb but I'm curious how much to plant for the two of us. If they keep increasing, I won't plant as many.

-- Barb in Ky. (bjconthefarm@yahoo.com), January 03, 2002

Answers

It spreads to the point that you must install a shield to keep it contained.

-- mitch hearn (moopups@citlink.net), January 03, 2002.

Hi barb, We have a big asparagus bed, We started with 100 plants for the two of us. Course we love it, and really pig out while it is produceing, Be sure to prepare a good fertile bed, lots of manure and mulch, make a trench about a foot wide, And spread your roots out, They have long ocupus type roots, they have to be planted flat.cover with good soil. They like mulch and rotted manure, and also fertilize with a 10-15-15 cemical. Also pour on a root stimulator, to get them going. And do not eat the first year, Let the bush stay till frost, and then cut back. Second year you can eat a few, only stop when they are smaller than your little finger. Good Luck Irene

-- Irene texas (tkorsborn@cs.com), January 03, 2002.

Thanks Mitch and Irene. Your info is quite helpful. My plans are to plant the asparagus in a raised bed so that should keep it contained! Also the raised bed is very good soil with lots of cow manure and good top soil and I plan to mulch them with straw. I'm thinking about 50 will be enough for the two of us. The raised bed is 5' X 10'. Does that sound ok?

-- Barb in Ky. (bjconthefarm@yahoo.com), January 03, 2002.

Barb,

I think you will have trouble getting 50 in that small of space. the roots can be a foot wide, and you can"t crowd them, they need space to expand every year. And the raise bed is all right as long as you plant them deep enough. If you plant them right now. They will produce for years and years. 50 plants should have at lease 50 ft. and that is crowding them.Ours are in two long rows, about 2 ft apart. also you will have to stake the ferns, as they will fall over.And they need the ferns to produce energy for next years crop. Irene

-- Irene in texas (tkorsborn@cs.com), January 03, 2002.

I don't know how to grow it, but I do know a fantastic way to prepare it. Snap it in half, then discard the bottoms. Saute the tips in butter (just until they turn bright green, not very long), and eat with bacon and eggs for breakfast. You won't believe it 'till you've tried it.

-- Kevin (kevinmail@earthlink.net), January 03, 2002.

Thanks Irene, guess I'll have to rethink my plan! Kevin, that sounds yummy!

-- Barb in Ky. (bjconthefarm@yahoo.com), January 04, 2002.