Hubby has been growing asparagus for a number of years but I have never really taken any notice of the growing conditions until this year. Now that I have caught 'the gardening bug' as he calls my new-found interest in growing vegetables, I have been doing a little reading about how to grow asparagus successfully.
Recently, when we received our order from Green Harvest Organic Gardening Supplies, there were some Spring Green Notes enclosed with lots of helpful information about growing asparagus successfully. First I learned that it is a member of the lily family and responds well to good drainage and lots of feeding. I don't think ours ever gets fed but it does do well anyway so it must like living here. It isn't bothered by many pests or diseases but young shoots need protection from slugs and snails.
In the photo above you can see some stems that are really skinny. Well, the notes say to only pick spears that are thicker than a pencil and leave the skinnier ones. Then these stems will grow up to 1.5m long with feathery, fern-like foliage which photosynthesise and feed the crown. Then the following spring, the crown and spears that emerge from it will be bigger and better.
There is more information about growing asparagus here if you are new to growing this vegetable. Also there seem to be a lot of health benefits from eating it as well which, to be honest, I wasn't aware of.
After a number of hot days this week the temperature dropped dramatically this afternoon so it was a good excuse to try making asparagus soup which I have never made before from fresh asparagus. I found this recipe which was quick and easy to make and tasted yummy.
I will be on the look-out for more asparagus recipes now and am interested in hearing from any readers about whether they grow this vegetable and how they incorporate it into their meals.
Have you been successful at growing asparagus?
We have two asparagus crowns but I have plans to put in quite a few more as I love it picked fresh and eaten raw on the way back to the house.....not many spears get cooked around here at the moment! :)
ReplyDeleteWe have grown it in the past at another farm but are yet to get it growing here. Just another of the things on my to do list. Thanks for the info.
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