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Re: Asparagus

Pat and Ken wrote:
> 
> Hi Steve,
> 
> We are in Rolla, B.C., just about 20 miles north east of Dawson Creek, B.C.
> mile 0 of the Alaska Highway.
> 
> When you say 'Make sure the ferns get a long Season' I haven't done
> anything with them . Should I have cut them off?  Last spring we cleaned up
> the dead ferns in the very early spring.

Perfect.  In a cold climate you want to leave the ferns until spring so 
they can help catch the snow for better insulation.


>  Also Ken thought we should move
> them to another part of the garden.  One part of the bed is shaded by blue
> spruce and the ferns there don't break ground till well into June.  The bed
> itself is raised about 10" above the rest of the garden, and is well
> drained ...being also at the back of the yard which slopes to the front.
> 
> Thanks for the reply, we both really love Asparagus and this is our first
> attempt to grow it.  ;None of our friends were growing it, although our
> neighbours planted some this last spring.  Also, this year I noticed
> several new ferns that are not in line with my plantings.  I thought I had
> all male plants, so I think somewhere there was a mistake in my order.
> Next spring I thought I'd move these volunteers to a second bed, is that
> the time to move them or should I wait till fall, and how do I tell a
> Female Asparagus from a Male  Asparagus Fern?
>

The crowns will tend to spread out a bit over time, so that may be what 
you're experiencing, depending on the distance of the young ones from 
the parent plant.

Female plants have red berries and the male plants don't.  

I think you should leave the plants where they are, mulch a bit every 
year, and if you relly want to move them, move them only a few at a 
time.  You should never harvest the first year after moving asparagus so 
if you move en masse you'll lose a complete harvest.

Steve 
> Thanks Again
> 
> Pat
> 
> ----------
> > From: Neason <Rebecca.Neason@foxinternet.net>
> > To: veggie-list@eskimo.com
> > Subject: Re: Asparagus
> > Date: October 7, 1997 7:48 PM
> >
> > Is your "zone 2" a USDA zone?  (I'm not sure where Rolla is.)  If you
> > are in the interior of BC then give it time.  I your climate it will
> > take longer to establish the crowns.  Make sure the ferns get a long
> > season the first few years.  Also make sure they're well drained.
> >
> > (If you're in coastal BC then email me directly, as your conditions and
> > mine would be very similar.)
> >
> > Steve  (Maritime Climate -- USDA Zone irrelevant)
> >
> >
> > Pat and Ken wrote:
> > >
> > > Susan,
> > >
> > > I'm not much help with your asparagus.  We planted 2 year old roots, 2
> > > years ago and got just a couple of feeds this year.  We applied a good
> bit
> > > of mulch and manure last fall, and were quite dissapointed with our
> > > results.  It was a very wet cool year here, so maybe that's the
> problem.
> > > Any one else out there able to give us some good advice?
> > >
> > > Granny Pat
> > > Pat Sneath
> > > Rolla, B.C., Canada
> > > Zone 2---snip
> >
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