Your comments and tips

03 Apr 17, Mike (Australia - temperate climate)

Let the asparagus grow until July, then cut it all off just under the ground level. Buy some horse/cow manure (two bags) and grass clippings and start mulching it now. Add some dirt to it and a handful of fertilizer. Wet it regularly and turn it over each two weeks - it will make compost in a couple of months. After you cut the fern down in July put the compost on the plants about 6" thick. When the new spears come out of the ground and grow to 8-10" cut them and enjoy. Give them a good watering each second day. The 3rd year after starting from seed you should be able to cut the spears from Aug to end of Nov. I put about a 1/2 a cup of all round fert in 9 L of water (leave it over night and give a good stir) and put this on the plants each month.

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23 Jan 17, Tom (Australia - cool/mountain climate)

Asparagus needs time, lots of time. You will not get much for the first few years. Just let it die down in winter and cover with lots of compost.

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21 Dec 16, Pam Neasham (South Africa - Summer rainfall climate)

Where can I buy asparagus crowns.. My late husband grew such large crops we used to give them away. I have down-sized since his death leaving my plants behind and would now like to grow some again.

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24 Dec 16, John (Australia - temperate climate)

In Australia asparagus crowns are normally available from nurseries in the winter months as bare-rooted crowns. berry plants, rhubarb and fruit trees are available at the same time. It is not difficult to grow from seed, you will just have to wait another season before you can harvest the spears. Trust this helps.

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17 Dec 16, Mike Hattingh (South Africa - Summer rainfall climate)

Can you please assist me with a list of suppliers from whom I can source asparagus crowns?

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24 Dec 16, John (Australia - temperate climate)

In Australia asparagus crowns are normally available from nurseries in winter. Thet are sold 'bare rooted, ssometimes loose and sometimes in damp sawdust. Other plants that are sold the saame way include - strawberries bramble berries, currants and fruit trees such as apples, pears, peaches, apricots and plums. You could also grow them from seed but would have to wait another seaaon before harvesting those delicious spers. Trust this helps.

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25 Nov 16, Mike (Australia - temperate climate)

Has anybody tried to grow asparagus from seed. I have tried this year. Live around Bundaberg Qld. In total I have planted out approx. 30 little seedlings. Very delicate little things. A bit of heavy rain and they snap off. A little hit up with fertilizer killed a couple. Even over watering has killed a few I feel. I have 8 plants left. Any tips on whether to grow them out of the direct sunlight and rain. Some plants have grown to 10-12" high, some are struggling at 2-3", although sprouted a couple of weeks later than the bigger one. Last year my 1 yr old crowns up grew and grew. Finding it hard to get these seedlings powering along.

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25 Nov 16, John (Australia - temperate climate)

Years ago I worked at a wholesale nursey where we propagated asparagus crowns for sale. The soil was sandy and we did not have any irrigation, only the rain. Our germination rate was very high. Maybe the seedlings are rotting if the soil is too wet. We sowed the seed in the Spring and sold the crowns the following winter. We did not thin or transplant the seedlings. Retry sowing with slightly raised soil to ensure good drainage. Trust this helps. John

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23 Dec 16, Mike (New Zealand - temperate climate)

Thanks John - Better to explain my position. I had planted out crowns last year (in a raised boxed garden bed) and had some berries fall on the crown and on the soil next to the crown. Also on the soil outside the box. This year in Sept the berries germinated. I transplanted the very small seedlings to the garden bed next to the boxed bed. This a red soil - can become very wet when we receive 2-3-6 inches of rain in a day. Also it is exposed to the sun, rain and wind. From the experience this year I know now I should have put them in pots and protected them a lot more. A few weeks ago I transplanted the smaller ones into pots and placed near a tree for some shade and protection. Today I transplanted them back to the garden and constructed a shade cloth cover for them to protect them from the sun. I have done this as we are going away for 7 days and my daughter will forget to water them and they will probably all die.

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20 Nov 16, Susan britton (Australia - temperate climate)

Hi, My friend planted old corms in my patch 3 years ago. The asparagus grows up very thick in the stem. She wants me to get a corm out when they all die back so she can grow this old variety. Can you advise me if that's ok and how to do it if it is. Thanks Sue

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