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Asparagus is a spring vegetable, and a flowering perennial plant species in the genus Asparagus.

The juicy sweet spears are bliss covered with butter or a light white wine sauce. If you are going to grow your own Asparagus you need to know it’s a long term crop. The first two years you won’t get many spears; it’s not until year three that you will get a bountiful crop.

Varieties:

Purple and green varieties are available. Mary Washington and Franklin are popular green types and sweet purple is a purple variety. Both have a similar taste.

When, where and how to plant:

Choose a sunny spot with a light, free-draining moisture retentive soil. Raised beds will improve drainage. Add well-rotted compost and/or manure and dig into the soil.

Plant in rows 15 to 20cm apart, in raised beds and containers (you can plant in blocks). Plant one or two-year-old crowns in early spring. Soak the crowns in warm water for about an hour before planting.

Dig a trench about 30cm long by 30cm deep with a raised ridge in the centre. Place the new plants on the ridge, spreading the roots evenly down the ridge. Cover the crowns with 5cm of soil and keep covering with soil until the trench is overflowing with soil.

Growing Guide:

Keep soil moist and sprinkle complete plant food over the bed once during late spring. Don't cut any spears in the first year, and when growth begins to yellow off in autumn, cut plants to the ground and mulch the bed with rotted manure. Repeat this process every year. In the third year you can expect your asparagus to produce a good crop.

Harvest:

Harvesting begins as soon as the spears appear and can continue until early summer. After that the plants must be left alone to grow leaves or next year's crop will be poor.

How to use:

Used as a vegetable and medicine from early times, Asparagus has a delicate flavour and diuretic properties.

Asparagus is low in calories and sodium, while being rich in vitamin B6, calcium, magnesium and zinc. It’s also a good source of dietary fiber, protein, vitamins A, C, E and K.

They can be poached lightly on their own and served with aged balsamic or butter. Or you can use them in salads, stir fries and quiches.

Comments (1)

Asparagus fertiliser
written by Fabian , August 03, 2011

Does anyone know of a fertiliser mix for asparagus using Super phospate, urea and potash? I used to have a formula by volume of the above 3 items but have misplaced it. As far as I could remember it was a part of each with the exception of one which was 2 parts.