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Last weekend, we planted two dozen + asparagus crowns in our slowly coalescing garden (fencing, fencing, fencing.) Although it will be a few years before we can begin to harvest the spears in earnest because you must first give the plants time to establish themselves, it was very exciting.
Just think, in a few short years, we can walk out our door and snap tender green asparagus right out of our own beds. It doesn't get any fresher than that.
Although we're clearly at the beginning of the process, the planting was easy. Here's how it went in case you'd like to make a similar investment in your edible future.
1. We ordered 25 second-year Jersey Supreme asparagus crowns from a grower who'd gotten great reviews on Amazon…
View Full Recipe at The Garden of Eating
%20Although%20it%20will%20be%20a%20few%20years%20before%20we%20can%20begin%20to%20harvest%20the%20spears%20in%20earnest%20because%20you%20must%20first%20give%20the%20plants%20time%20to%20establish%20themselves,%20it%20was%20very%20exciting.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EJust%20think,%20in%20a%20few%20short%20years,%20we%20can%20walk%20out%20our%20door%20and%20snap%20tender%20green%20asparagus%20right%20out%20of%20our%20own%20beds.%20It%20doesn't%20get%20any%20fresher%20than%20that.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EAlthough%20we're%20clearly%20at%20the%20beginning%20of%20the%20process,%20the%20planting%20was%20easy.%20Here's%20how%20it%20went%20in%20case%20you'd%20like%20to%20make%20a%20similar%20investment%20in%20your%20edible%20future.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3E1.%20We%20ordered%2025%20second-year%20Jersey%20Supreme%20asparagus%20crowns%20from%20a%20grower%20who'd%20gotten%20great%20reviews%20on%20Amazon%20(kind%20of%20ironic%20but%20we%20knew%20the%20shipping%20would%20be%20quick%20and%20liked%20that%20we%20could%20see%20real-life%20reviews%20from%20a%20lot%20of%20people.)%20It%20cost%20roughly%20$20%20with%20the%20shipping%20and,%20as%20predicted,%20arrived%20within%20a%20couple%20of%20days.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EIf%20ordering%20plants%20online%20is%20not%20your%20bag,%20you%20should%20be%20able%20to%20get%20them%20from%20a%20local%20nursery,%20in%20season.%20Although%20there%20are%20a%20number%20of%20varieties,%20the%20basic%20differences%20boil%20down%20to%20green%20or%20purple.%20Although%20the%20purple%20ones%20are%20really%20pretty,%20they%20turn%20green%20when%20you%20cook%20them%20so%20we%20just%20opted%20for%20the%20plain%20old%20green%20ones.%20Per%20the%20grower's%20directions,%20we%20stored%20the%20bag%20of%20crowns%20in%20the%20fridge%20while%20we%20readied%20their%20bed.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3E2.%20My%20husband,%20Rahm,%20dug%20a%20roughly%208-inch%20trench%20for%20them%20to%20grow%20in%20(anything%20from%206%20-%2012%20inches%20deep%20is%20fine).%20We%20planted%20two%20rows%20side%20by%20side%20with%20about%20two%20feet%20between%20them.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3E3.%20He%20mixed%20a%20good%20amount%20of%20our%20rich%20composted%20dirt%20with%20a%20little%20rock%20phosphate%20to%20help%20stimulate%20root%20growth%20(follow%20the%20directions%20on%20the%20package%20to%20get%20the%20right%20amount).%20Then%20he%20dumped%20a%20little%20mound%20of%20about%20four%20inches%20of%20this%20compost%20every%2012-18%20inches%20along%20the%20trench.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3E4.%20Meanwhile,%20I%20removed%20the%20crowns%20and%20soaked%20them%20briefly%20in%20warm%20(not%20hot!)%20water.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3E5.%20Then%20we%20untangled%20the%20roots%20of%20each%20crown%20and%20laid%20the%20spidery%20looking%20things%20right%20on%20top%20of%20the%20little%20compost%20mounds.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3E6.%20Rahm%20came%20back%20through%20the%20row%20and%20covered%20the%20mounds%20and%20crowns%20with%20about%20two%20inches%20of%20good%20dirt,%20not%20compost.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3E7.%20We%20would%20have%20watered%20but%20it%20was%20supposed%20to%20(and%20did)%20rain%20so%20we%20just%20waited%20a%20few%20hours%20and%20they%20got%20a%20good%20watering%20in.%20But%20you%20should%20water%20if%20you're%20not%20due%20for%20a%20good%20soaking.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3E8.%20Then%20came%20the%20really%20hard%20part%20-%20waiting%20for%20the%20crowns%20to%20put%20down%20roots%20and%20send%20up%20shoots.%20Everything%20I%20read%20said%20this%20takes%20about%20a%20month%20but%20we%20spotted%20the%20first%20proud%20little%20sprout%20two%20days%20ago!%20And%20a%20day%20or%20so%20later,%20little%20greenish-red%20heads%20were%20breaking%20through%20the%20soil%20all%20along%20the%20rows.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EOnce%20the%20greens%20have%20poked%20up%20about%20five%20inches%20above%20the%20surface,%20we'll%20cover%20the%20trench%20with%20another%20thin%20layer%20of%20soil,%20leaving%20the%20top%203-4%20inches%20of%20the%20stems%20exposed.%20And%20we'll%20repeat%20that%20process%20until%20the%20trench%20is%20level%20with%20the%20ground%20around%20it.%20Then%20we'll%20mulch%20the%20bed%20thickly%20to%20discourage%20weeds%20and%20let%20the%20plants%20go%20%22vegetative%22%20as%20the%20Farmers%20Almanac%20calls%20it.%20This%20lets%20the%20roots%20store%20up%20energy%20and%20helps%20them%20get%20established.%20In%20the%20fall,%20we'll%20cut%20the%20dead%20foliage%20back%20and%20side%20dress%20with%20compost.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3E9.%20Apparently,%20we%20can%20harvest%20a%20few%20spears%20next%20year%20but%20should%20leave%20the%20bulk%20of%20them%20to%20do%20their%20thing%20and%20die%20back%20on%20their%20own,%20simply%20trimming%20the%20dead%20foliage%20in%20the%20fall%20(you%20can%20leave%20it%20right%20on%20top%20of%20the%20dirt%20to%20decompose%20if%20you%20like),%20then%20dressing%20with%20compost%20and%20mulching%20well.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3E10.%20Once%20the%20beds%20hit%20their%20stride%20in%20the%20third%20year,%20we%20can%20harvest%20any%20spears%20that%20are%20thicker%20than%20a%20pencil.%20The%20harvest%20lasts%20for%20about%202-3%20weeks.%20If%20we%20have%20too%20many,%20we'll%20pickle%20some%20(so%20good!)%20and%20asparagus%20also%20freeze%20well.%20Once%20the%20harvest%20has%20ended,%20we%20let%20the%20ferns%20grow%20to%20help%20give%20the%20plants%20more%20energy%20for%20the%20next%20year.%20The%20beds%20should%20produce%20for%20at%20least%2020-25%20years!!!%20Just%20think%20of%20all%20the%20delicious%20meals%20and%20stinky%20pee%20we%20have%20ahead%20of%20us%20:)%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EFor%20more%20delicious%20recipes,%20gardening%20ideas,%20foraging%20tips,%20and%20food-related%20inspiration%20%22like%22%20the%20Garden%20of%20Eating%20on%20Facebook,%20or%20follow%20me%20on%20Twitter%20and%20Pinterest.%3C/p%3E){kind=link}