Is your asparagus up yet?

[otolith]

I've got an asparagus bed which was planted in 2008. I've just replanted half of it with fresh crowns after the old ones on one side failed to thrive - when I dug it up to replant, I only found one living crown left. The other half, which did well last year, has so far put up just two spears from one plant. I was hoping for a crop this year, having had only a taste last year and of course nothing at all in 2008.

I had four different varieties, Guelph Millennium, Purple Pacific, Thielim and Connover's Collossal. The Guelph Millennium and Purple Pacific snuffed it, and the spears I have coming up now are off one of the Thielim.

Am I worrying unduly? Is it still a bit early?

Oh, and does anyone use salt to suppress weeds in their asparagus patch? I'm considering trying it.

[Sheets Tabuer]

I thought the 1st year was crap anyhow and should be discarded?

[Japveesix]

My neighbours is up and growing well (no idea what variety it is) had our first lot on a barbeque the two weekends ago.

[Mr Gearchange]

Mine is starting to come up - 5/6 spears only at the moment though. I put them in 3 years ago - this is the first time i'll be picking them to eat.

[Simpo Two]

We used to sell a product called Weed-Out which contained alloxydim-sodium and controlled couch grass in asparagus beds - but to my astonishment there is no mention of it at all on the internet!

[clarkey]

No growth on mine yet, and I usually get 100+ spears each May.

[loltolhurst]

no but the farm down the road's asparagus is on the bbq as we speak

[Busamav]

Got about a dozen spears.

Just went and checked them and I have mistreated them , 3 spears are 18" tall !

All the spuds are showing through now , along with the beetroot etc

Edited by Busamav on Monday 26th April 18:34

[otolith]

Sheets Tabuer said:

I thought the 1st year was crap anyhow and should be discarded?

Yeah, but these are in their third year (I'm not looking to harvest the ones I've just planted, just the old ones).

[otolith]

Hmm, maybe not time to panic then, with some up and some not. Knowing my luck they'll all come up two at a time so I never have enough for a meal!

[Chrisgr31]

In my bed I have 3 plants that are in their 3rd year and one of those has thrown up one shoot in the past 24 hours. The others still hidden as are all 9 of this years new plants.

[Sue]

We had our first lot last week, though this is a 3 year old crop. I have an assortment and some a friend gave me last year.

I put a manure mulch over them in the winter and then as soon as they start showing a good spread of eggshell and organic slug killer as the slugs seem rather partial to the spears as they emerge. There is also a nasty beetle that will attack asparagus and is worth looking out for, ironically called the asparagus beetle. http://www.uri.edu/ce/factsheets/sheets/asparagusb...