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Re: Introduction and Asparagus question

Sue Callaghan wrote:
> 
> Hi all,
> I'm a new subscriber to this list and I guess I'd better introduce myself.
> My husband and I live on a small holding outside Johannesburg in South
> Africa. We are keen vegetable growers and produce a large variety of
> veggies for ourselves and our unsuspecting friends, family and colleagues!
> (Why is it that no matter how few seeds you plant you always end up with
> more produce than you can use?)
> We have grown peppers, chiles, onions, tomatoes, potatoes, peas, beans,
> carrots, turnips, parsnips, marrows, pumpkins, (including the giant types -
> my husband is determined to produce a record sized Atlantic Giant!) mealies
> (corn), lettuces, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, a bunch of different
> herbs and fruit and probably a lot of stuff I've forgotten to mention. We
> don't grow them all at the same time, but try to have a good variety
> regardless of the season. We are lucky in that our Winters are fairly mild
> - some frost, but not enough to prevent us from growing root vegetables,
> brassicas, lettuce and a few others during Winter. Our Summers get very hot
> - temperatures over 30C for weeks on end and things like lettuce tend to
> bolt just when you need them for those Summer salads! We are interested in
> growing varieties and vegetable types that are not commonly available here
> and I source a lot of seed from the US and England via the 'net as the
> choices here are very limited (although improving slowly).
> A question for the aficionados - I have finally found a nursery that has
> Asparagus crowns for sale and intend buying a few. I've never grown them
> before and am unfamiliar with their requirements - does anyone have tips on
> how to get the best out of this delicious vegetable?
> TIA,
> Cheers
> Sue (in Sunny SA)


Your winters sound similar to mine, perhaps a bit warmer, but the
summers are certainly much hotter.  I am in the NW Corner of the U.S.
near the city of Seattle.  A temperature of 30 deg C for more than 2
days is a heat wave to us.  Our summer high temps are more generally in
the mid 20's and the nights are as low as 10.  (Nearer the city the
nighttime temps are closer to 15 but the daytime highs are a bit
cooler.)  We probably have quite a bit more rain than you do.  It rains
regularly and often between the end of Sep and the end of June, peaking
in Dec and Jan.  (Our winter, of course.)

Asparagus needs plenty of moisture but it prefers fairly well-drained
soil.  (But my soil is heavy and it does pretty well.)  Crowns should be
planted over well-manured soil either in shallow trenches or, for very
wet areas like mine, in raised beds.  Then cover the crowns with a bit
of loose soil and mulch fairly heavily. (12-15cm)  You should use a
light-colored loose mulch to help keep the soil cool in summer.

I usually add about 4-10 cm of loose mulch every second or third year in
the form of wood chips or a sawdust/horse manure mixture.

If you don't plan to stay where you are for many years it's probably not
worth the trouble, as it takes a few years to get reliable yield.  If
you plant them now (late winter) you should expect to get nothing this
year.  Just let the ferns grow.  Then pick over lightly next year for a
couple of weeks.  The third year you can pick for a month and after
that  a full ten weeks each season for as long as you live.  (If you
keep up the mulch and keep down the weeds, although asparagus competes
pretty well with the weeds.)  

Always let the ferns grow as long as possible after you finish harvest,
and make sure they have moisture in the soil while growing, although
water should not need to be added to a well-mulched bed after the first
season or two.

Steve  (Maritime...)
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