Could use some tips

[Cinders]

My husband and I are working towards perennial gardening. We are very interested in doing asparagus. Any tips or suggestions? We are pretty good at gardening but will be new to this one.

[madhen]

I have an asparagus bed and it is a lot of fun.

My tips would be:

1) start with roots not seeds - adds about a year to your first harvest;
2) find a permanent sunny place for the bed, since it will be 10-12 years before it is exhausted (if not longer)
3) don't be a scrooge with the compost. Make the bed deep and rich - you'll be rewarded;
4) don't expect to harvest anything the first couple of years. The roots need time to grow big and strong. When the stalks don't come up looking like anemic pencils, you can start harvesting.

[Durgan]

16 May 2008 Making Asparagus Bed 16 May 2011 Making Asparagus

There are now ten plant growing well, and I harvested s few stalks in 2011. Next year should be a good crop.

[Contrary Housewife]

Do a little research into varieties before you buy roots. The Martha Washington variety commonly sold in garden centers is not the best producer out there. Ignorant, this is what I bought and found out about later. I will be adding a different kind to the bed this spring, probably from mail order.

[Durgan]

Guelph Millenium Asparagus - Veseys

This was my selection of asparagus after doing due diligence.