Landscaping & Gardening Information | home | site map | contact us |
How to Grow Asparagus
Asparagus is a perennial plant with erect, edible stems and tiny branches that bear even tinier flowers that become red berries that contain the black Asparagus seed. Formerly in the Liliaceae family, botanists have realized that Asparagus is in a class by itself and have repositioned its 120 species in the Asparagaceae genus. Asparagus is a high-end gourmet food item, but if you know how to grow asparagus, it becomes an inexpensive way to add a delicate flavor to your meals. Knowing how to grow asparagus dates back 2500 years ago when it was first cultivated in Greece. In fact, asparagus is from the Greek word for stalk or shoot. Long before it was used as a food item, asparagus was lauded for its medicinal properties. There are many reasons to grow asparagus. Once an asparagus bed is established, asparagus is the first vegetable that is table ready in the springtime and will provide your family with a firm and fresh vegetable treat for up to 20 years, each crown in your bed producing up to ½ pound of spears per year. Although supermarkets stock both canned and frozen asparagus, neither compares to the unique flavor you get from freshly harvested and picked asparagus. As asparagus plants grow, they produce a mat of long, tubular roots that spreads horizontally rather than vertically. This one-year-old root system is called the asparagus crown. Although asparagus can be started from seed, it's most often begun from transplanting crowns purchased from a reputable crown grower. Those who wish to learn how to grow Asparagus must have an abundance of patience, since it takes an asparagus bed three years to be established from crowns. The second year of growth, asparagus ferns emerge with a few spindly spears. At the third year, although your bed will produce thicker and more robust spears, they shouldn't be harvested for more than one month to allow roots and crowns to become further established. Plant asparagus crowns in a trench that is one to two feet wide. Set the crowns up to six inches deep and nine to twelve inches apart. Asparagus grows easily in any well-drained soil. Found growing wild on English riverbanks, the delicate asparagus ferns were nicknamed "sparrow grass". However, asparagus allowed to stand in water develops root rot, which can quickly destroy a complete bed. Asparagus roots have a tendency to "rise" as the bed matures. Gardeners typically add soil to the rows of a mature asparagus bed to keep the crowns undercover. Asparagus is also susceptible to late spring frosts, which kill emerging spears Take care to keep your asparagus bed covered until frost danger is past. About The Author Hans is gardener and owner of Gardening-Guides.com and Patio-Furniture-Ideas.com.
MORE RESOURCES: Unable to open RSS Feed $XMLfilename with error HTTP ERROR: 404, exiting |
RELATED ARTICLES
Homemade Hummingbird Nectar HUMMINGBIRD NECTAR RECIPEWe love hummingbirds and love to watch them throughout the day, especially after a long day, relaxing in our backyard nature retreat.We have 4 feeders that are strategically located throughout our gardens. What to Feed Your Fish During Colder Winter Months With air and water temperatures dropping in most parts of the country, now is the time to greatly reduce the amount of food you are feeding your fish.When your water temperature starts falling below 65 degrees, you should consider switching your fish food to a more digestible wheat germ food. Hydroponics Gardening - An Introduction To Hydroponics Gardening For Beginners The Basics of Hydroponics Gardening.What is hydroponics gardening?Derived from the Latin Hydro, meaning water and Geoponics, meaning the study of agriculture, hydroponics is the science of growing plants using a solution of suitable nutrients instead of soil. Plants To Grow Old With or The Constant Battle Following are a few paragraphs about the on going battle I had with some of my plants!Way back when I was just starting to garden I excitedly gathered starts from here and there, and several times, when I asked people for a particular start, they, with raised eyebrow, would ask me if I was sure I wanted that plant as it could be invasive.Naively, and just so thrilled to get a new start (I had garden fever bad Ha!), I said that wasn't a problem. Gardening For Birds What a cruel trick the weather is playing on us.WE HAVE SNOW ! ! !A bit depressing for us outdoor types. How To Prevent Damping Off Damping off is the single term used to describeunderground, soil line, or crown rots of seedlings due tounknown causes. The term actually covers several soil bornediseases of plants and seed borne fungi. Avoiding Unsightly Algae Excessive organic matter in the pond provides nutrients foralgae, contributing to its growth. Algae can obscure the view ofcolorful fish, and more dangerously, it robs the water ofvaluable oxygen and releases harmful pollutants. You Take The Vacation - Not Your Garden If you are planning to go on vacation, there are some important tasks that you really must undertake to ensure that your garden continues to maintain that well cared for condition which you constantly strive for.After all, because you have spent so much of your time during the rest of the year trying to achieve perfection, it would be a great pity if some of that good work were to be undone. Garden Benches - What They Are Putting in a flower garden or any garden for that matter takes time and dedication. However, the result is gorgeous color, magnificent fragrance, wonderful foods to eat, and an overall sense of accomplishment. Durable Wooden Swing - Decorate Your Outdoors with One There is nothing better to do on a hot, lazy afternoon than to lounge in your favorite outdoor swing while reading, napping or just watching the world pass by. And when evening approaches and the breeze gets cooler, an outdoor swing is also the perfect place to sit and unwind after a hard day while you watch the fireflies light up the ever darkening sky. Hummingbird Nesting Facts Every spring the United States and Canada are blessed with the presence of humming birds migrating north to make a home for their coming young. They come from Mexico and South America in search of a cooler, more suitable climate to nest and have a family. Simple Lawnmower Maintenance Do you have trouble starting your lawnmower up in the spring? Before deciding to take your lawnmower in for repair, try these few simple suggestions. After completing them most of the time your lawnmower will fire up and run like a champ. Porch Swing Places: Where to Put a Porch Swing So you've purchased a Porch Swing (or are about to) and you plan to hang it on the Porch? Not so fast!Where you install your Porch Swing is as much a function of the need you are trying to satisfy as tradition and practicality. If nostalgia is your motivator, then the porch may well be the best place for your Patio Swing. Natural Garden Pest Control No dig gardens essentially strive to be their own ecosystem. This is the sign of the best sort of garden, one that is in tune with itself without the need for pest or disease control. Adirondack Chairs - How to Care for and Clean Them Different from any other chair, the Adirondack chair was first created in the late 1800s by Thomas Lee as a means of making something exceptionally comfortable, affordable, and a chair that could be used in the house or backyard. What makes this chair so unique is the overall design. Herbs: Growing Your Own The first thing you need to do when deciding to create your own Herb Garden is to decide on the size of the plot of land you want to use. This will depend on what herbs and how much you want to grow. Edgeworthia Chrysantha Although it is a member of the Thymelaeaceae, the family that includes the daphnes, it would be hard to imagine a plant less like a daphne at first glance. However, if you are familiar with the deciduous Daphne genkwa, there is some hint of resemblance there. The Home Garden The garden should be near the house and away from trees. If it's some distance away from the house, it will not be as well looked after, nor will most use be made of vegetables grown. Safety On Lawn Tractors Every gardener riding a lawn tractor should be concerned about safety. But, most homeowners don't take much time thinking on how risky can be driving lawn tractors. Cast Aluminum Furniture In days gone by, outdoor furniture was cast from iron. Today, cast aluminum furniture is used more often. |
home | site map | contact us |