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Re: SQUARE FOOT ASPARAGUS

Peggy wrote:
>I've started setting up cement blocks for strawberries. The blocks are 8"
by
16" with two holes each. I'm planning on day neutrals and possibly Ozark
Beauty. Are these holes big enough? I'm assuming that each is like a
seperate growing container so spacing is not an issue.
snip
Now for the real purpose behind this cement structure: The inside
measurement of this bed will be 4' by 20'and I read somewhere that this
space should accommodate 80 asparagus plants or 1 per square foot. Can
someone tell me if this is going to work or should I use this bed for
something else? HELP!!!!!    <

Standard cement blocks are (prox) 7-5/8X7-5/8X15-5/8 net (finished 8X8X16
includes mortar at joints.)

I built two Asparagus beds, each built of 2 Ls with 3 block and 10 block
legs, one inverted so that they make a rectangle of 26 blocks per course
having 39"X147-1/2" as inside dimensions (without mortar.) Each bed is 3
blocks high, this being necessary due to the poor drainage of my ugly black
clay soil, and contains 11 yearling plants planted at the 2 block height to
be filled up with soil and compost to the 3 block height as they grow this
year. All is going very well so far.

From my research I have decided that Asparagus needs 18" of RICH soil on
either side of the row (rows 3' apart) and AT A MINIMUM 12" to 15" apart in
the row. I have loaded the beds with manure and compost.

Asparagus is a very heavy feeder AND needs lots of room for air circulation
around the plants to prevent what is called "Asparagus Rust" at the base of
the mature foliage. 1 plant per sq ft is a recipe for 3 yrs of hard work
getting the bed started only to see it die off over the next 2-3 yrs. "Been
there, done that!"

You mentioned the contingent benefit of having, in my case, 52  4"X6"
planters per bed, which I have planted in spinach, lettuce carrots, swiss
chard, bunching onions, fullsize onions, chives and strawberries, all doing
well. I plan to set Tomato plants inside the bed with the Asparagus as my
companion planting book says that they do well together, and it is
convenient.

I did not use mortar on my beds as I may be moving in 4 yrs and intend to
take it all with me to whatever new place. It seem that there is a plan
afoot to bulldoze  the neighborhood in which I bought my home last June and
build a mini mall. So....nothing permanent.

My, now, six  4' square beds are
nailed up from whatever scrap lumber I could "acquire" and are doing great.

I hope that my experiences have helped. If your soil is such that it has
good drainage, a one block high bed is fine. I must say, though, that
three (or even four)  blocks is a very convenient height for an old guy.

Regards,
DT (aka Dore Tyler)  dee_tee@msn.com
Doing his own thing in the privacy of his own garden.





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