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Re: Asparagus in Square Foot

Square Foot Gardening List - http://www.flinet.com/~gallus/sqft.html

Todd,

    I'm just getting back from vacation and after reading all the back
email, I noticed your asparagus question had not been answered.
    We put in an asparagus bed back in 5/96.  We used eight foot landscaping
timbers, had two cut in half and made one 8 x 4 bed two timbers high.  I
laid them out with the long ends inside the short end so planting space is
just 8 x 3.
    Since asparagus is a perennial, we made a point to really set up the bed
well.  We dug down about eight inches (the article I had suggested twelve
inches, but we got tired and we are in the South and the timber height gave
us some leeway).  We tilled, and amended and tilled some more.
    To plant, we dug trenches (as the article suggested) and planted three
bare root asparagus plants short wise about a foot spaced trenches.  This
works out to one per square foot.  This was a little closer than the article
recommended, but we didn't want to dig another bed!  Just cover the bare
root, as it grows fill in the trench until the bed is all level.  We mulched
well and kept watered.  The next year we harvested about one week or maybe
six to eight spears then let go to seed.  The next year harvest was better,
this year has been great and we are still harvesting.  We stop harvesting
the plants that come up smaller than a pencil, and let go to seed.
    The only maintenance I do is weed (I have an ongoing battle with the
crab grass), and mulch.  Asparagus is suppose to be a high nitrogen feeder
and we did add nitrogen the first year.
    Our variety is "Jersey Black Knight" and supposedly male plants.  I
devote this one bed to the asparagus and have other beds for my other
plants.  We are in Middle Tennessee, zone 6/7.
    This is my first response; I hope I haven't been too long winded.  Any
additional tips would be appreciated.

    Lynn


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