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How to Grow Asparagus
by Hans Dekker
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 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 1/2
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
www.Gardening-Guides.com and
www.Patio-Furniture-Ideas.com. Article Source:
www.homehighlight.org
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