Asparagus, Part 6: First Harvest

Recently, I harvested my first spears from the asparagus plants I started two years ago from seed. My gardening bible, Steve Solomon’s Gardening When It Counts, says you can harvest all spears at least 3/8 of an inch in diameter without harming the plant’s future production. That’s what I’ve been doing, and so far I’ve harvested…

Asparagus, Part 5: They’re In!

Eight weeks ago, I started 30 Mary Washington asparagus seeds between two damp paper towels. Potted up, 12 of those became healthy little ferns, and now they’re continuously sending out new shoots, each one a little bigger in diameter than the last. (We might finally be up to a hair’s breadth!) Since the apple trees…

Asparagus, Part 4: More Seeds

The Great Asparagus Experiment has now become two experiments. Of the thirty seeds I started between two wet paper towels on Feb. 10, twelve have become healthy plants, growing multiple stems and reaching up to 8″ high. (They are getting a little floppy, though, which means they’re ready for some outdoor weather: sun and wind…

Asparagus, Part 3: Xmas Tree Farm

Gazing at my asparagus seedlings this morning, I realized that the last time I posted about them, they were just barely emerging from their seed coats. I was burying them in pots of dirt, worrying if I’d ever see or hear from them again. Well, I have–half of them, at least. 13 out of the…

The Great Asparagus Experiment

Okay, maybe it’s not going to be that “great.” And maybe it’s not soooo experimental. I mean, other people have grown asparagus from seed. But the “normal” way to start an asparagus bed is to buy crowns: the roots of one- or two-year-old plants. Starting a bed with nothing more than a packet of seeds…