Monthly advice


This page is devoted to advice notes, updated bi-monthly to inform and advise gardeners on how to get the most from their asparagus crowns. This will include

  • soil guidelines
  • hard monitoring
  • fertility requirements
  • pest and disease forecasting,advice and treatment
  • cultural practice
  • cutting and cropping guide
  • end of season procedures
  • bed preparation etc
  • and much more

29/12/2009


The snow and severe frosts will have done no harm to your asparagus bed. The asparagus beetle that overwinters in hedgerows and decaying vegetative matter will have taken a knock and the cold will kill spores of the main asparagus diseases, phytopthera and stemphylium . The wet weather that followed the cold is not so welcome, the water will drain down to the crown through the hole left by the old fern rocking in the wind. And so to jobs to be done

All Plantings:

• Clear last year’s fern from the site, if you can, as soon as conditions allow. On the young beds the fern will break up and raking off is impossible. Many growers now mulch the old fern into the surface; we always try to remove as much fern as possible as this is a potential disease carry-over to next season’s crop . In fine, frosty weather we are able to rake it off mechanically and burn at the end of the rows..

• Gently rake over the soil surface to close the hole made by the rocking asparagus fern.

• For the older beds, plan to get hold of some well rotted organic material, such as livestock manure or rotted garden compost. (younger beds hopefully will have been prepared with a mulch of some sort). This can be applied in the New Year when conditions are suitable, gently forking in to the top two inches. It is most important that the manure/compost is well rotted so that it can be mixed in well and will not be a haven for the slugs come a wet spring.

• If the bed is four years old, you have been enjoying the fruits of your labour for the past three years, to ensure you continue to do so, test your soil for pH . The application of frequent organic matter and/or artifical fertilizers will encourage acidity and a treatment of lime ( commonly now chalk (CaCo3) ) forked again into the top two inches will correct the acidity over a period of two years. The ideal pH is 6.00 for asparagus. At pH under 5.00 apply 4lbs per yd2, at pH 5 – 6.00 apply 3lbs per yd2. A simple tester is available from garden centres, or alternatively, as they tend not to be used often, ask you neighbour if he has one you can use.
Caution: try and separate the application of lime and rotted manure by a month as the lime will cause the leaching of nitrogen from the manure.

• 2009 Plantings-  A reminder that , as long as your summer fern was strong and healthy, ( 3-5 ferns min 3ft tall ) you may cut some asparagus next season. Be sure not to be too greedy and stop at least by May 20th, allowing the fern to grow over summer to strengthen the crown for many further years of cropping. This will not apply to those who planted Connovers Colossal, this should not be cut at all.

We wish all our Customers a Happy and Productive New Year