Ate two spears since they were really tall and begging to be picked. My were they tasty! Lots more coming up behind them. I ate them as I toured the back 40 - blueberry bushes are coming to life as are the black raspberries.
-Kim
Asparagus today zone 6!!
That's awesome. We aren't growing it but can't wait for it to show up at the farmers market. Definitely a favourite here :)
Mine began to produce spears a while ago. I have never grown Asparagus before, so I read all I could find. I waited the suggested three years for my very first spear, and when it was ready, I snapped it off, and into my mouth it went! What a difference between these that have been home-grown, and the ones in the market. I didn't realize how sweet they could be. There should be a few more ready for this evening's meal. I only have nine plants left from the original 25. Now that I've tasted "real" asparagus, I'm going to order more plants.
It takes 3 YEARS?!?!!
Asparagus will produce spears the first and second years, but from what I have read it is best to wait until the third year before harvesting them. One is supposed to let them
produce fern-like growth the first two years. Cut them back in the late fall after the fronds have turned brown. Has something to do with letting the nutrients go back into the crowns - like with daffodils and other bulbs. Yes, I waited three years for my first asparagus! No doubt this is why asparagus is so expensive in the supermarket.
That's really good to know... This is my first REAL year doing major gardening and taking it pretty seriously. One of my co-workers husband is big into veggie gardening so I've been picking his brain and brainstorming/making plans on what and how to veggie garden NEXT year. I've been trying to think of which veggies to grow (like which ones we eat the most) and picking everyone's brain about it.
I absolutely love asparagus, so that is definitely going to be a keeper. I'm glad I was browsing through this forum because I just learned two things: That it takes about 3 years to harvest and because of this, now I know it's a perennial. LOL that I did not know... Any other tips for me to keep in mind?
I love DG :)
I had a young bed I had started from seed doing nicely. When I came home from work the baby sitter informed me that they had asparagus for lunch. It was only it's second year and I had noticed some nice spears starting. Think it needs to develop roots for the three years so it will be more productive for a longer time later!!!
Buy two year crowns (which most of them are). I pick a little more each year; I think mine are 5 years total now, 2 yr crowns and 3 yrs in the ground so this the year! I leave the super skinny spears to go to fern.
Honeybee, I am in NC also and I have some new Jersey Knight seedling crowns . They germinated back in December and I have quite a few so if you are interested dmail me. I am transplanting into a new raised bed this weekend and am going to baby them for a year then sell some. I bought 35 crowns 12 of which were Jersy Knight. They were 2 years olds 4 years ago and all males supposedly. Well, it turns out one was a female so last Fall I took some red berry seeds and put them in a tray of soil with bottom heat and 2 months later I had little spears shooting up. I am very excited. They were organic crowns and so each year I am going to take seeds and start new crowns to sell at 1-2 years old.
Let me know if you are interested in some of the ones I have started. Growing your own gus is the best!
Thanks,
Susan
I bought year old crowns from nourse farms, and expect to have some to harvest next year.. is that generally how it works?
What I've heard is you can cut once the first year after planting, twice the second year, and three or more times the third.