by Chris Winslow
One very important vegetable to consider for your garden this year is
asparagus. It has a delicious flavor when served with melted butter, is
good for your health, and will be productive for 15 years or more.
Garden asparagus, named from the Greek word asparagos which
means sprout or shoot, has been cultivated since ancient times. The
world’s oldest surviving recipe book (from the third century) even
refers to it.
This culinary vegetable is a genus in the lily family. It grows a lateral
primary root and then sends its shoots above ground when the weather
warms up in the spring.
Establishing an asparagus row in your garden is fairly easy. Since it
takes 2 to 3 years to mature from seed to edible size, you can save a
lot of time by planting ‘crowns’ that are already 2 years old.
Locate your plants in a well-drained, sunny spot. Since they are peren-
nials, usually a sunny location along a fence line or along an edge of
the garden is best. This way they can be left alone when you dig up
your vegetable patch between seasons.
The asparagus row itself should be tilled or plowed to a depth of 12
inches. You should blend adequate organic matter, such as compost
and fertilizer, with the garden soil. Fortunately, asparagus thrives in
our alkaline soil.
Make a deep trench one foot deep down the middle of the row and
plant the asparagus crowns at 12 to 18 inch intervals, spreading the
side roots out along the trench.
Cover the crowns with 2 to 3 inches of soil. Firm around the roots
and water in. As the first season progresses, add soil to the trench
until it is full by fall.
With the asparagus crowns as deep as 12 inches, the surface of the
bed can be cultivated and lightly tilled to control weeds without
hurting the crowns.
The shoots grow to a height of 2 to 4 feet. They then open into
feathery foliage which has small greenish-white flowers. The spears
are usually harvested in the spring at a height of 4 to 6 inches. As
harvesting continues, the spears will become more thin and wispy.
When they become smaller than the diameter of a pencil, harvesting
should stop. This will enable shoots to grow into feathery branches
that will supply renewed energy to the roots.
In the fall, after the first frost has browned the foliage, the stems
should be cut back to ground level. You should then heap generous
amounts of organic fertilizer upon the asparagus row or bed. The
rains of winter will carry the fertilizer to the roots which will grow
and produce edible sized “spears” in the spring. Rule of thumb: a
100 foot row will adequately feed a family of 5.
After harvest, asparagus is usually boiled or steamed until tender.
Traditionally the spears are served with a sauce like hollandaise, or
served with melted butter and drizzled with parmesan cheese. This
vegetable is rich in folic acid. This helps make the blood healthy
and strengthens the liver. It is low in sodium and calories, has no
fat or cholesterol, and is a great source of potassium and fiber.
The only disease associated with asparagus plants is rust. By planting
disease resistant varieties, this should not be a problem. Two varieties
to look for are U.C.72 and U.C.157. Both of these will produce early,
and are prolific.
(At the nursery we have U.C. 157 for $1.25/crown, and Purple Passion
for $2.25/crown.)
Happy gardening everyone!
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