Friday, March 2, 2012

Today I planted 10 Martha Washington asparagus plants.

I already have asparagus, but the variety that I have has been a real dissapointment.

It is true that my existing asparagus is fat and yields well-just as promised- but it is also rather tough and fibrous. Also, each plant only sends up one spear at a time. That means that if you miss a day picking, the one spear will be too large, and until you remove it no other spears will start. Oh, a few will start a second spear: perhaps 20% at best? The spears LOOK spectacular, but for me it is all about the eating!

At any rate, I am going back to the older, more TENDER variety! The one that sends up shoots that are more slender but they are tender and there are more of them!

Now, there is a great deal of foolishness in print about how asparagus should be planted. The old method was to dig a trench 6 feet deep, plant the roots in the bottom, and fill it is slowly with composted horse manure. A truly intimidating task!

Modern directions say to spread out the roots and bury the crown under 6 inches of dirt. This, too, is unecessary.

I can tell you, it is not the method of planting that counts it is the quality of the roots! I have seen some really tiny, wilted, fairly pathetic roots out there: no wonder so many people fail with asparagus!

I simply dug a shallow hole, lay the asparagus side by side, and covered it entirely up. I firmed the earth down and I was done. The hole is from 3 to 6 inches deep,but my holes now are  however they come out, and I was pleased to be able to dig so well. The roots looked a little crowded, but I was pleased to have done as well as I did.

Asparagus is a heavy feeder, and it will want watering if the spring is dry, but the roots I found were largeish, fresh, and undamaged and so they should be fine. I expect them to set good seed and spread!

5 comments:

  1. Wow! I'm impressed that you were able to do this without help. Is your soil built up already, or will the extra manure take care of that? How has your MS been this winter?

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    1. This winter my MS BITES!

      And, no, I just dug a shallow hole-about 6 shovelfulls-and set the roots down. I then got on my knees and pushed the soil over the roots.

      Honestly, the important part really is the health of the roots, and not she skill of the person planting them!

      And, this winter my daughter and I have gotten some of the wrinkles worked out of her working for me. It is not easy hiring kin! But, she is a little more professional and I am a little better at giving directions: I guess that I am getting a little more professional also? LOL!

      Since I now have the time for thought, I have decided that when she moves out that we will go to paper plates, and perhaps 3 times a week I will have frozen dinners to serve. That should cut down on the housework.

      Unless, of course, my son cannot find work and chooses to work for me after my daughter moves out! It occurs to me that this recession might be working to my benefit from time to time!

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    2. OH! I see that I neglected to say that I was only putting in 10 roots! Oh, well.

      The Martha Washington should set good seeds and so the tender variety will spread. In the meantime we have the somewhat chewy ones to eat: they are not perfect but they are still tasty!

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    3. Yup, you mentioned that there were 10 in the title. What planting zone are you in? Here in hardiness zone 6 it's not time to plant or start seedlings.

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  2. We are in zone 5, but asparagus will not be injured as long as it is planted while it is dormant.

    I am thinking of the future when I will have no teens to help me. I am putting in a perrenial here and a mineature tree there. Most variety of fruit trees are too tall even if you get a dwarf, but I have a mineature peach that is bearing even though it is 4 feet tall, and I have ordered a very dwarf apple that I will grow against a shed to give it more support. The apple is only supposed to grow 6' to 8' tall.

    DD has already dug the hole for the apple. When the tree arrives I can put it on a cart to move it - it should not be big at all- and plant it myself. Which is good because DD doesn't actually treat plants like they are living things! In the spring she likes to pick flowers but that is about all the outside activities she cares to do: she only helps me in the garden because I need her to. She is a good kid, we simply have very different interests, LOL!

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