Perennial Kitchen Garden

[MaryN]

(12 March 2013, 03:08)Lightspeed Wrote: Mary N

Thank you for this. I have to admit that the cost of asparagus in restaurants made me think that growing the stuff must be difficult and some kind of a black art.

A couple of questions:

1. What position should I site an asparagus bed? Full sun, Shade, Morning sun????? Which is best

2. Is Asparagus cold tolerant during winter months? Meaning will it tolerate freezing conditions? Again my assumption is that its an exotic delicate plant, I hope I'm wrong?

3. What is the harvesting period?

4. How long will a bed stay productive before having to be replaced?

5. Any pests or adverse additions to take into consideration?

Sorry for all the questions, but your post has really got me interested in this.

LS

---

Hi PreserveFreak

( Ha ha, I initially misread your screen name as PerverseFreak!!! :-))

We used to have Rhubarb in the garden when I was a kid. It was a kind of mysterious plant that just did its own thing and sprouted up every year with absolutely zero maintenance. I love the stuff.

Same question as I posted above to Mary N

How? When? Where etc?

Could you start a Rhubarb thread to cover this?

Thanks in advance

LS

Hi there Lightspeed. I'll try and answer your questions, but please bear in mind that this is from my point of view. O.K here goes.

Growing asparagus is definitely not a black art. The cost of buying it is, I suspect, mainly because asparagus can only be harvested by hand, so it is quite labour intensive. So far as I am aware, there is no mechanical method (I could be wrong).

1. I find asparagus likes an open aspect. It does not appreciate being planted in shady areas - it likes sunlight. I have grown it in a variety of soil types, but I would recommend digging in a goodly amount of well rotted manure. It's a greedy little beggar and will reward a good feed. The only thing I would say is that is likes drainage, and will not grow well in a puddle. Other than that, I have not found any difficulties.

2. No it is not a delicate plant. It's a hardy perennial, but it will appreciate a bit of protection in very bad weather - just pile some extra compost or even shove a bit of fleece over it. It won't complain. I'm not sure where you are in the country - I'm in Norfolk and it's pretty chilly on the East side of the country. No problems with it here.

3. I find that the shoots start pushing in May, and growing like crazy from the end of May onwards. I was cutting asparagus (sparingly) up until September last year, but the season is generally May/June, just in time for new potatoes and strawberries!

4. It's a perennial, so theoretically it will last for years. The first couple of years just be sparing with the amount you take to eat. Once it gets its feet down the spears come thick and fast. Last summer I was losing the cats in the greenery!

5. Slugs can be a bit of a pain, but I don't have too many problems. If the weather is really very wet it can produce a few rust spots, but nothing dramatic. Pretty trouble-free really.

Hope this helps. Please do try growing asparagus, it really is worth the effort. You get a "luxury" vegetable for a small investment. Good luck.

---

(12 March 2013, 12:27)ObongoPox Wrote: Agroforestry Research Trust,based in Totnes,do a range of unusual/heirloom perennial vegetables.Martin Crawford,founder,has written a book on said subject.
Without wishing to digress,just wondered if anybody knows much about slug/snail control.I have buzzards nesting nearby,so am looking at something non-toxic to wider wildlife.Tried beer (without success).Morrison's have 'organic' snail pellets,but at £5 seems to defeat the object.

You could try some of the old-fashioned methods of slug control. Half grapefruits placed near the plants; jam jars with sweetened water or beer dug into the ground; or just getting out there and handpicking the little beasties. You could also try eating the snails........