Asparagus

[hudlow]

I just put in an asparagus bed at our new house. We left one behind that we had planted about 15 years ago that was really producing good.

We like asparagus grilled with a little olive oil and seasonings.

Just throw it on for a few minutes beside your favorite steak.

My favorite meal is grilled asparagus, a baked sweet potato and a nice rib-eye......maybe a little red wine

In fact that's what I'm cooking tomorrow night.

hud

 

[jimmy1]

I just got my beds cleaned up this past weekend. tilled and some salt put on them, I think we will be about 2 weeks yet before they will appear.

Hud: I grill it also, love it.Can't beat it with a good steak, and definetly a good red wine. Do you put it on the grill raw? I have been giving mine a quick blanching before I season and grill it with olive oil.

Jim

 

[schmism]

based on what else is sprouting i expect to harvest simular bunchs every few days for the next comming weeks?.

 

[hudlow]

I just got my beds cleaned up this past weekend. tilled and some salt put on them, I think we will be about 2 weeks yet before they will appear.

Hud: I grill it also, love it.Can't beat it with a good steak, and definetly a good red wine. Do you put it on the grill raw? I have been giving mine a quick blanching before I season and grill it with olive oil.

Jim

No blanching, just straight from the garden to the grill. A little olive oil, salt, pepper and maybe a little parmesan after it comes off the grill.

I guess I'm looking at a couple of years before I can harvest mine since the beds are new.

hud

 

[hudlow]

based on what else is sprouting i expect to harvest simular bunchs every few days for the next comming weeks?.

Looks like you're going to need some friends who like asparagus.

That's a good looking harvest. Those "fat boys" are just beggin' to be grilled.

hud

 

[schmism]

well the whole asparagus thing is new to me....

i found it odd that some spots all the sprouts, shoots (what do you call them?) were normal pinky size. I have one area that seems to sprout thumb size ones with the largest .75"+ in diam.

then other places they are pencil thin.

can you pluck the same stem more than once? There are only about 8 or so that were tall enough to get timmed before we had the hard freeze a couple of weeks ago so i went ahead and cut them, now those stalks are pokeing back up with cut off heads...

now what?

 

[hudlow]

well the whole asparagus thing is new to me....

i found it odd that some spots all the sprouts, shoots (what do you call them?) were normal pinky size. I have one area that seems to sprout thumb size ones with the largest .75"+ in diam.

then other places they are pencil thin.

can you pluck the same stem more than once? There are only about 8 or so that were tall enough to get timmed before we had the hard freeze a couple of weeks ago so i went ahead and cut them, now those stalks are pokeing back up with cut off heads...

now what?

I've never used the same stem twice. I always break them off as close to the ground as possible - or even underneath. Then sometimes if they are too long they'll be a little tough but they usually snap right where the tender begins.

Stop harvesting about the end of May, at least in my area, to let the plants grow and be ready for next season.

hud

 

[jimmy1]

well the whole asparagus thing is new to me....

i found it odd that some spots all the sprouts, shoots (what do you call them?) were normal pinky size. I have one area that seems to sprout thumb size ones with the largest .75"+ in diam.

then other places they are pencil thin.

can you pluck the same stem more than once? There are only about 8 or so that were tall enough to get timmed before we had the hard freeze a couple of weeks ago so i went ahead and cut them, now those stalks are pokeing back up with cut off heads...

now what?

They are called spears. My guide is to not cut anything smaller than pencil size, I let them establish themselves. You should be able to keep cutting. I will cut the spears just below the ground and they will continue to sent new ones up. I usually stop cutting around the beginning of June, depending on the weather and how well the patch is doing ( in my area). I then leave the stalks alone until the next spring then clean up the bed for another crop.

Jim

 

[Chuck52]

I've had a few spears get past me sometimes, due to rain or whatever, and go to ferns. Should I pluck them anyway (and discard) so the spear production continues? I mean, is asparagus like some vegetables, that if you don't harvest them, quit producing? Also got a problem with asparagus beetles. I hate to hit them with insecticide because I'm picking every day. I've tried insecticidal soap, which is really just soap with no poisonous additives, and it seems to help some, but doesn't really get rid of the beetles. I've read about a rotenone/pyrethrin combo that can be used up to one day before harvest and I may try that in combination with the soap. Maybe pick all the spears that are close to ready and then hit the bed with that mixture and wait a day or two before picking again. Rotenone and pyrethrin are "natural products" and supposed to be relatively safe. On the other hand, I've worked with some really nasty "natural products".

Chuck

 

[jimmy1]

Chuck: If the spears get ahead of you I assume they are smaller ones, and even the large ones I just let them go into ferns. I am under the understanding that the crowns establish into stronger plants that way. Those beetles cause me a problem as well and I use rotenone, works well and usually a couple of treatments brings them under control.

Jim