MORE INFORMATION

Why Grow Asparagus?

There are two really good reasons to grow asparagus. First of all the flavour. Asparagus loses flavour, moisture and antioxidants wonce harvested. There is nothing like snapping off a spear in the field and eating it raw. Asparagus also makes a welcome addition in the kitchen at a period of the year know as "the hungry gap". In early spring the winter stalwarts are finished and the summer fruiting superstars are in the ground but not ready to harvest. Asparagus along with broad beans, peas, green garlic, radishes, asian greens and salad greens make a great seasonal change and fill this gap.

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Male Or Female?

Asparagus is dioecious which means that it comes in male and female plants. The male plants produce large thick spears. The female plants put more of their energy into seed production. The spears are thinner and when fully grown covered with small red berries. It is therefor preferable to grow male plants only. A few suppliers advertise male only seeds. These male only seeds are a product of some very clever plant hybridisation work. However it does beg the question "what happens if all asparagus plants end up being male?". Growing your own asparagus crowns from seed becomes a much better option. Asparagus seed is cheap so grow at least twice as many as you need. If you plant them in early spring/late winger in a warm place and grow them on in pots you will be able to cull the females in the autumn, after they flower, leaving you with males to plant out in the ground. 

It is also possible to dig up older male plants and divide them into single crowns for replanting. However a well established asparagus plant has a huge, tangled root system making division difficult without damaging the plants. Like young crowns they will need a year or two to reestablish. It is just as quick to grow new plants from seed. 

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Different Weed Management Strategies

In order to become really productive young asparagus plants must be kept weed free and the best way to do this is using mulches. 

Once the plants are well established you can use another lazy method of management.  Let the plants and any weeds go crazy after picking. You can also throw around some summer legume seed like lab lab beans at this stage. Well established asparagus crowns will out compete almost all annual plants/weeds (this will not work for vigorous summer perennials like kikuyu). Once the weather cools down and the fronds yellow and die off slash the whole area leaving all the vegetation as a mulch on the surface. We have successfully introduced chooks into the patch at this stage and left them there till the middle of August when the asparagus starts growing again. In anticipation of the first spears knock down any early growth with your mower, pick the asparagus a few times, mow, repeat till the end of picking season and start again. 

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White Asparagus

White asparagus is produced from any asparagus crown by growing the plants in the dark. Traditionally this was done by hilling the spears with soil as soon as they start to emerge. You need deep friable soils and a special knife that cuts the spears deep below the ground. These days commercial growers cover the plants with black cloches which exclude the light. Harvesting needs to happen after dark. When the picking season is finished the plants are allowed to grow on in full sunlight to replenish their energy stores for the next season. The blanched spears are sweet, tender however as someone who has grown and enjoyed fresh picked asparagus for over 30 years it is too much effort.  I actully love the full flavour of green asparagus and have always found it tender when picked young.