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

10/03/2010

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

This cold winter will have done no harm to your crowns; breaking the life cycle of the asparagus beetle and controlling the spread of disease spores.   Only if your bed was waterlogged, when the frost will damage some crown roots, should you worry.  If this is the case try digging a trench on the topside of your bed to take some of next year's winter water away.

• Although still cold the ground is drying out and an ideal opportunity to clear your bed of last year's fen. Try and remove the fern, although it will probably crumble as a result of the frosty winter.
• If you have secured some rotted manure it is now a good time to apply it, as well as, on the older beds , some lime if the pH is below 5.8 ( apply separately and with a months gap)
• Another reminder that if you planted in 2009, you should only cut this year for 10 to 15 days, stopping by at least the 20th of May.  You will then allow the fern to grow away strengthening the crown for many years of production.