Janiejoey . . .

Just wanted to let you know that I just received my dozen and a half asparagus roots :9

After reading your post a couple weeks ago I thought . . . "I've got loads of space, why not add asparagus to my gardens?"

Did ya ever think of yourself as a "veggie enabler"? :7

Thanks for the idea that completely slipped my mind since I usually buy a few plants and plant alot of seeds. ;)
 
Hi Sunshine,

I love the thought of being a vegie enabler.:7 Congratulations on purchasing asparagus crowns. I'm assuming they are at least a year old. In which case you have to see them come up two years in a row and NOT EAT THEM YET!:-( Hard to do, but oh so worth it.

I put in 50 crowns 3 years ago, and I will prepare another bed of 75 when I can get my hands on some crowns from my favorite nursery. This bed is a bit bigger than the first. I'll freeze whatever we don't eat and enjoy this wonderful crop all year.

Here are a few tips: Assuming your crowns are 1 year old.

1. Plant in rows about 18 inches apart.
2. Use garden soil and compost in your whole bed (I use mushroom compost and mix it in with the garden soil).
3. Plant about 12-13 inches under the ground (a trench). Spread the crowns out lengthwise tip to tip. Then put about 3 inches of soil on top; as they grow continue to fill up the trench.
4. The third year, have some of course, but don't cut too heavily until the next year. Stop cutting in June.
5. After you quit cutting, the ferns will grow about 3 feet. Cut them to the ground after they become yellow in the Fall. Put more compost on them for next years growth.

Enjoy your well deserved crop in your tummy after 2 years in the ground.

AAAWWWWW! You can't get much better than this.:9

Janie

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The idea is to die young as late as possible.
 
Thanks for the tips.

I only bought 18 crowns - how much does your 50 produce?

For freezing - do you blanch first? How does it come out after freezing?
 
This is our 3rd year, and we ate everything except the small ones. I call this light cutting. We quit cutting today. We had asparagus almost every night. Our servings were large for two people! Next year they will come up even more. They last 25 years.

I've never froze asparagus before, but I think you do blanch them. Better check the internet for more information on that. I've had frozen asparagus, and of course it doesn't have that fresh taste, but it's not hard to eat either. And we grow organic, so it is good for ya.

I think you better get more crowns so you can enjoy more servings. 18 crowns is really not enough. You'll want more trust me. With that amount you will only be teasing yourself.

Enjoy and take care, let me know how it goes. Are you going for more crowns?

I found this on the internet:

How to Freeze Asparagus

It's asparagus season and time to make this wonderful vegetable part of your diet. But what if you buy too much and want to freeze it? Or what if your local store has a sale on asparagus and you want to buy a lot and freeze it to use all summer?

First, wash the selected spears. Remove the scales from the stalks with a knife and cut off any tough ends. Cut into lengths to fit your container.

Next you'll want to blanch the asparagus in boiling water for different lengths of time depending on the size of the spears. Small spears need to be blanched for about 2 minutes, medium spears for 3 minutes, and large spears for 4 minutes.

Take out of the water immediately and cool by placing in ice water. Once they are cool, drain and dry the spears well.

Place into freezer bags or other airtight freezer containers. A good way to place them in the container is by alternating tips and stems as you lay them on top of each other.

Janie

PS: Above, I added more tips for you that I've forgotten.


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The idea is to die young as late as possible.
 

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