Asparagus

[JerryL]

Ok. You people are making me drool all over this keyboard. I finally have a few spears up but of course nothing I can harvest this first year. But it does look like most of my plants survived. Just wait till next year.

[bbb123]

I planted a row of it this year then I found it growing wild in one of my fields. Has anyone seen it grow on its own the spot the wild stuff is I brush hog twice a year usually.

[jhp]

bbb- you're lucky! No I haven't seen it growing on it's own, but I have heard others say that.

I don't know what "brush hog" means.

[bbb123]

"bush hog" I should have said. Over sized lawn mower for brush and grass goes behind tractor.

[bbb123]

My new asparagus is 2"-18" high when do I start filling in the ditch? I'm afraid to bury the little guys but I read your supposed to fill in around them as they grow.

[jhp]

It depends on how you planted it. If you planted in a trench, you would need to fill it in, yes. I guess I'd fill in the ones that are taller and leave the 2" ones alone.

[bbb123]

I bush hogged around my "wild asparagus" took a couple pictures. It is over 6' tall guess I could of harvested a little more. The grass was over 3' tall.

[jhp]

That's cool! What a nice thick asparagus patch. Bonus, you didn't have to do anything.

This reminds me, I always had a suspicion that asparagus would be left alone by animals if unprotected. Looks like it's one of the few things that they won't eat. My garden is like a fortress, all fenced in, because the wild life is so bad around here. The few times critters have gotten into the garden, the asparagus was untouched. Makes me think that I could have asparagus outside of the fortress and it wouldn't get eaten.

Is your wild asparagus out in the open or fenced in somehow?

Jen

[bbb123]

In the open just above it I raise pheasants so there is lots of nitrogen running done the hill to it. Maybe I shoulda planted mine in the same spot.

[Ruth_10]

I'd fill in the trenches, especially on the taller plants. Asparagus will push its way up through quite a bit of soil.

My asparagus is out in the open and only occasionally will I find a new, tender stalk bit off, I assume by a deer. I don't think they like the taste of it. Other than that, nothing bothers it but the asparagus beetles and the Japanese beetles.

[Medbury Gardens]

Originally Posted by babylark

I'm of no help. I only started a patch this year.

I'm curious though, how you tell the male from female plants?

They both have the yellow flowers but obviously its the only the plant female that ends up with the small red seed pods by the end of the season

[huntoften]

There is one critter that loves to eat asparagus...Labrador Retrievers! I had to fence off my entire garden because the dogs got a taste for asparagus this year...they would eat anythign that popped out of the ground and dig down to get the ones that had not broken through the surface yet! I left the gate open open one day, two of them went in and the first thing they did was head for the asparagus patch and start to chow down.