Re: asparagus

Anybody have experience growing asparagus from seed?  My current asparagus
bed was not very productive last year and seems to be losing vigor.  No
shoots yet this year.   The time for planting the crowns here is right now.
But there don't seem to be any available in local garden centers this year.
Last year there were a few wimpy Mary Washingtons and the Home Depots have
some dried out generic no-name crowns but I have never seen Jersey Knight
offered.  Catalog seed companies won't send the crowns until "all danger of
frost is past" which happens in about March and is only 30-60 days short of
100+ temperatures.

The "Thompson & Morgan" seed germination database on Duncan's page addresses
issues like seed scarification and soaking but doesn't address caring for
seedlings and transplants.  I would like to keep the seedlings in containers
the first year.  Has anybody tried this?

Olin, Phoenix AZ
USDA Zone 9b, Sunset Zone 13, AHS Heat Zone 11
-----Original Message-----
From: linda lawyer <lmlawyer@yahoo.com>
To: veggie-list@eskimo.com <veggie-list@eskimo.com>
Date: Wednesday, January 06, 1999 7:02 PM
Subject: 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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