Re: asparagus


Bill,  we live in zone 7 and we use UC 157 which is an all male
variety.  Prepare the soil as well as you can.  If drainage is a
problem make a raised bed. ph should be around neutral (7).  Dig a
trench about 8 inches deep, deeper if drainage is not a problem.  Line
the bottom of the trench with compost, spread the crowns in the bottom
of the trench about 18 inches apart.  Cover with a mixture of compost
and good soil 2 inches over the crowns.  I used about half and half.
As the spears begin to grow, fill in the trench.  At the end of the
summer you should have a mound over your crowns.  When it gets hot and
dry, mulch the bed deeply.  In the winter when the ferns turn brown,
cut them off at the ground and mulch the bed for the winter. Be sure
to remove some of the mulch  when the spears begin to grow in late
winter and early spring. Feed in spring with compost and cotton seed
meal and again after harvest or in May. Needs to have 2 growing
seasons before harvest.  My bed was planted in the early spring of
1997.  We are looking forward to a good harvest this spring.  It was
hard not to harvest any last year because we had so many spears.  But
wait.  It is best for the roots.  If you have any questions, contact
me at lmlawyer@denisonisd.net...or on the list. 
Where in Tennessee are you from.   Good luck,
Keith Lawyer    Denison Texas   Zone 7


---Bill <wcm4@earthlink.net> wrote:
>
> Hello , 
>  I'm thinking about starting an asparagus  bed 
> this spring . I'm in  Tennessee in zone 6.
> Any tips on  variety , how many plants  or 
> anything else I might need  to know ? 
> Thanks for any  help .
> 
> Bill 
> 
> 

==

Happy gardening from Zone 7,
Keith Lawyer
lmlawyer@denisonisd.net



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