5 TIPS How to Grow a Ton of Asparagus in a Raised Garden Bed Container

if I am i from self-sufficiently and in this video I want to show you how I grow this amazing vegetable called asparagus and give you my five top tips on how to grow a ton of it in a raised bed garden just like this one now I know what you're thinking this doesn't look like a ton of asparagus well it is I'm just letting it grow out and plus we've been eating heaps of it sauteed barbecued grilled you name it even fresh like this eat it like no one's watching mmm oh you can't get better than that seriously though there's no wonder asparagus is one of the world's most famous vegetables and it's not because when we eat it our pee smells like teenage boys socks moreover asparagus contains a mega range of important vitamins and minerals making it one of the most health rich foods you can possibly grow we love to eat a lot of asparagus and that's why we grow a ton of it so let's just get into it tip number one planting there are lots of varieties of asparagus on the market especially these days but don't agonize too much over which one to choose because most are good why not grow several types we're growing two varieties and Australian purple tip and the old favourite Mary Washington bred by the USA Department of Agriculture in 1919 and still to this day touted a strong performer and good all-round variety to grow asparagus is a perennial meaning it dies back each winter and then regrows in spring but unlike many other perennial plants that only live a few seasons asparagus can live for 20 plus years this is awesome because you can simply set aside a part of the garden or a half bed garden like I have here with ginger on the other side have a look at my how to grow a ton of ginger video by the way and then you can just leave it for a couple of decades and you'll have asparagus spears for years Cheers you can try selling asparagus seed directly into the bed but I reckon it grows best sown in containers and nurtured in a protected area and then planted out once a root system is established however my recommended way of growing is to buy the one or two year established crowns and plant them because the success rate is better and the time to maturity is faster there are two methods of planting asparagus crowns the bun in the ground method and the trenching method finding it in the ground is how it sounds dig a hole like a regular plant and just bung it in you might use this method to fill a gap in your asparagus bed for example the method most people use and I recommend is the trench method where a trench is dug with a mound of soil slash compost in the middle and the crab-like asparagus crown roots are placed about 30 centimeters or even less apart so they straddle either side then backfill so the tops are about an inch or so under you may lose the odd plant during transplanting but don't worry about too much just fill in the gaps next season if you want tip number two patience asparagus takes several years to become established and strong enough so that it can be harvested regularly depending on how old the plant was at the time it was planted it could take two to four years before it's safe to cut your asparagus and get a good feed yes you can try a little sample here and there but you should let it grow as an ornamental and enjoy this delicate fern in the garden for a few years before using it as a regular kitchen vegetable it really is a beaut we'll plant as you can see so be patient and let it grow and strengthen before you get stuck into it tip number three harvesting once your plants have reached maturity you'll find that they'll start producing nice thick spears Baro size or pencil size is fine but the best size is around the size of your pinky try to cut the asparagus spear around eight inches or at least before the fern starts opening otherwise it becomes too woody to fully enjoy asparagus grows fast and will literally pop out of the soil overnight so keep an eye on it and harvest regularly to promote more Spears tip number four growing out after you have enjoyed several months of your own organic homegrown nutrient-rich asparagus let it develop and grow out why because it looks awesome but the main reason why it's good to let it grow out usually through summer towards the end of the season is so that it can keep strong and healthy as winter approaches the ferns will die off and the energy will be transferred to the crown and massive root system which can go as far deep down as a meter this stored energy in the crown and the root system will give it a great kick start in the new season tip number five mulching and feeding when you see asparagus being farmed commercially you won't find a lot of mulch like this typically in the soil it'll be in mounds and that's because it's easier to harvest through the bare soil where the asparagus spears come up and they just cut them off and walk along and put them into crates but also asparagus farms are located in areas that are typically temperate climates they're a moderate and good climate for asparagus growing but if you're like me and grow asparagus in a hot climate or perhaps the other extreme a very cold climate then I encourage you to mulch the plants well with mulch you might get the odd bendy or crooked asparagus spear as it pushed its way up through but don't let that be a concern because a good mulch two or three inches thick helps more than it hinders by locking in moisture nutrients and protects the crown from extreme temps like cold or heat it keeps the weeds down too I like to recycle the dead asparagus ferns as mulch but I also use sugar cane or nitrogen rich loosen to mulch the bed as far as feeding goes top dress the bed just before the growing season with compost and poultry manure to give the plants are nitrogen hid and a nice rich soil to thrive in organic blood and bone or chicken pellet manure from the store also work very well to grow good crops of asparagus there you have it those were my five top tips on how to grow a ton of asparagus in a raised garden bed just like this one and if you follow my tips on planting patience harvesting growing out and mulching and fertilizing then there's no reason why you can't grow a ton of asparagus just like I can if you've got any comments or questions feel free to whack them below even if you've got some extra tips because that benefits all of us and I thought I'd try something different if you've got something that rhymes with asparagus whack it down in the comment section and let's have a bit of fun if you haven't subscribed make sure you do so also give us a big thumbs up and share this around because it helps my channel a lot thanks a lot for watching bye for now [Music]

Channel: Self Sufficient Me

Views: 1,105,701

Keywords: How to grow asparagus, asparagus growing tips, tips on growing asparagus, growing asparagus in raised bed, growing asparagus in containers, how to grow asparagus at home, how to grow asparagus from crowns, how to grow asparagus spears, asparagus, tipt on growing asparagus in my garden, raised garden beds, self sufficient me, ton

Id: K83HnbMKbqo

Length: 9min 5sec (545 seconds)

Published: Sat Feb 17 2018