{"id":1554,"date":"2019-09-08T05:21:20","date_gmt":"2019-09-08T05:21:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/?p=1554"},"modified":"2020-04-12T02:22:29","modified_gmt":"2020-04-12T02:22:29","slug":"asparagus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/index.php\/2019\/09\/08\/asparagus\/","title":{"rendered":"Asparagus"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Asparagus officinalis<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Introduction<\/strong>: This native of coastal areas of Eurasia has been prized as a\ngourmet food since the ancient Greeks. The newly emerging spring shoots are\nregarded as one of the great delicacies of the vegetable garden. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Crop value<\/strong>: Asparagus is a great\nperennial crop. It\u2019s low maintenance, easy to grow, expensive to buy and better\nwhen home grown. As an added bonus it\u2019s available early in the growing season,\nwhen few other crops are producing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Asparagus does have some significant\ndrawbacks as well. It takes a long time from planting to first harvest. The\nharvest season itself is pretty short, usually only 6 weeks or so. Perhaps most\nimportantly for the intensive gardener, a good sized planting takes up a lot of\nspace. When you consider all of these factors, it\u2019s not surprising that\nasparagus is one of the most expensive vegetables to buy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ease of growing<\/strong>: Asparagus is a pretty independent plant and doesn\u2019t require much\ncare. It isn\u2019t very productive for the space it occupies, so isn\u2019t a good crop\nfor small gardens, or intensive beds in general. It is quite attractive though\nand can be planted in any spare corner of the garden, or even grown as an\nornamental. Birds eat the <\/p>\n\n\n\n

berries and sow the seeds, so given the right conditions it may\nescape from your garden and naturalize.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nutritional\ncontent<\/strong>: Asparagus has\nbeen called a superfood for its nutritional content. It is rich in vitamins A,\nB6 and C, as well as soluble fiber, selenium, folate, rutin and various\nantioxidants. It is low in energy, with only about 90 calories per pound.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

About Asparagus<\/strong>  <\/strong>

Seed facts<\/strong>
Germ temp: 50 (60 – 85) 95\u02daF
   \u201c    time: 7 – 21 days
53 days \/ 50\u02daF
24 days \/ 59\u02daF
15 days \/ 68\u02daF
10 days \/ 77\u02daF * Optimum
12 days \/ 86\u02daF
Seed viability: 2 – 5 years
Weeks to grow transplants: 10 – 12  

Planning facts<\/strong>
Perennial in zones: 4 – 9
Growing temp: 45 (60 – 75) 85\u02daF
Plants per person: 5
Plants per sq ft: 1 plant needs 2 – 4 sq ft
Plant height: 3 – 5 ft
Plant diameter: 2 – 3 ft  

Planting<\/strong>
Start: 11 wks before last frost
Plant out: 1 wk after last frost
Direct sow: 2 wks after last frost
Days to harvest: Seed – 3 years   
                            Root – 2 years  

Harvest facts<\/strong>
Harvest period: 6 weeks
Yield per plant: \u00bd – 1 lb (20 shoots)
Yield per sq ft: 12 oz sq ft    
<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Climate<\/strong>: Asparagus prefers mild temperatures, not too hot and not too\ncold. It doesn\u2019t like very hot humid areas, or very mild winters (it needs a\nsignificant rest period).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Soil<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

pH 6.5 (6.8-7.0) 7.5 <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Asparagus isn\u2019t a particularly fussy plant, but it will produce\nmore food if given ideal soil. This is deep, rich, well-drained and fairly\nneutral (not acidic) with lots of organic matter to help it retain water.\nOriginally a coastal plant, it is very tolerant of saline soil. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Plants growing on very light and sandy soil should be monitored\ncarefully to ensure they don\u2019t dry out. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Asparagus will also do okay on heavy soil, so long as it is\nwell-drained. It can tolerate short term flooding, but prolonged wet soil can\ncause the fleshy roots to rot over the winter. If you want to grow asparagus in\nsoil that gets wet in winter, you should plant it in raised beds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Soil preparation<\/strong>: It\u2019s important to amend an asparagus bed thoroughly (and lime if\nnecessary), prior to planting. Once the plants are in the ground, you can\u2019t\nincorporate anything else and any further fertilization must be as a top\ndressing or mulch. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If your soil is heavy or compacted it is a good idea to double dig\nan asparagus bed before planting. This allows you to cultivate the soil to a\ndepth of 20 – 24\u02dd and enables you to remove perennial weeds (very important),\ntree roots and other debris. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Deep cultivation also allows you to incorporate organic matter and\namendments evenly throughout the soil. Incorporate as much compost, or weed\nfree aged manure as you can spare, along with liberal quantities of colloidal\nphosphate (it loves phosphorus), greensand (for potassium) and kelp (for trace\nelements). Of course you could also just use an organic fertilizer mix.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Planning<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where<\/strong>: An asparagus bed may last 15, 20, 30, even 50 years (100 year\nold beds have been known), which is longer than many fruit trees. Consequently\nit is important to choose the growing site carefully.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The first criterion is that it should be in full sun. It will take\nsome light shade, but won\u2019t be as productive. The bed should be sheltered from\nstrong winds and well away from large trees or shrubs, with their vigorous\nfeeder roots. Lastly it should be placed where it won\u2019t cast unwanted shade,\ncompete <\/p>\n\n\n\n

with other crops, or interfere with other everyday garden\noperations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

An asparagus bed takes a lot of space. Each plant sends out roots\nseveral feet in all directions and they must be spaced far enough apart to\nprevent competition. In addition the individual plants aren\u2019t particularly\nproductive, so you need quite a few to get a reasonable harvest (ideally at\nleast 5 plants per person). Taken together these factors can make for a pretty\ngood size growing bed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you don\u2019t have the space for a full sized bed of asparagus, you\nmight be able to fit a dozen or so plants in various spots around the garden.\nYou won\u2019t get a huge harvest, but it\u2019s better than nothing. Asparagus is quite\npretty with its ferny foliage and can blend into the ornamental garden pretty\nwell. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Planting<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Planting options<\/strong>: Asparagus is most often grown from 1 or 2 year old roots. If you\nhave more time than money you can grow your own roots from seed, instead of\nbuying them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Raising transplants<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are patient, you can raise asparagus\nfrom seed and plant it out when a year old. This is the least expensive way to\ngo, though of course the drawback is having to wait 3 – 4 years to get a\nworthwhile harvest. However this isn\u2019t such a big deal if you consider that\nthey may live for 20 or 30 years. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Growing from seed can be\nsomewhat unpredictable as some seed may be more vigorous than others (small\nseed is often inferior and is sometimes discarded). Some authorities recommend\ntreating the seed with bleach to control fungus disease. Pre-soaking seed (at\n60 – 80\u02daF for 2 – 4 days) can be useful\nto speed germination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Starting indoors<\/strong>: Seeds are\nusually started indoors in late winter, about 3 months before the last frost\ndate. This gives them the maximum growing time in their first year. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Start the seed in individual\n4\u02dd pots, cell packs or 1 \u00bd\u02dd speedling trays. Normally you plant two seeds to a\npot \/ cell and remove the weakest one when\nboth have germinated. They can also be grown in 4\u02dd deep flats, just sow\nthe seed 2\u02dd apart and \u00bd\u02dd deep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keep the containers at 75 – 85\u02daF\nuntil all seed has germinated and then reduce it to 70 -75\u02daF (60 – 65\u02daF\nat night). Better seedlings result if it isn\u2019t too warm. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The\nseedlings grow quite vigorously and in 3 months may be 9 – 12\u02dd tall and big\nenough to be planted outside in a temporary nursery bed, or even planted in\ntheir permanent position (See Using 12\nweek old transplants<\/strong>). By\nnext spring the one year old roots will be ready to go out into their permanent\nposition (only use the most vigorous plants). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Starting outside<\/strong>: The seed may also be started outside in a nursery bed, when the\nsoil has warmed up a little (to at least 50\u02daF)\nor about 2 weeks after the last frost date). Plant the soaked seeds 3\u02dd\napart and 1 – 2\u02dd deep. You might also plant a few radish seeds to mark the row,\nas the asparagus may take a while to germinate. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Weed the newly emerged seedlings carefully and when they are 6\u02dd\ntall thin them out (you could try transplanting the thinnings) to stand 6\u02dd\napart. They are then left to grow for one year and dug the following spring.\nThey can put on a surprising amount of growth in this time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Direct sowing<\/strong>: It is possible to sow\ndirectly into the prepared asparagus bed (it is certainly vigorous and fast\ngrowing enough). However it isn\u2019t very practical to plant a seed every 24\u02dd and\nthen wait for a couple of years. Planting in a nursery bed makes a lot more\nsense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Using 12\nweek old transplants<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is a recently developed alternative\nmethod of growing asparagus from seed. The seedlings are grown as described\nabove and planted out in their permanent position after all frost danger is\npast. They go in a small ridge (3\u02dd high) at the bottom of a 8\u02dd deep trench. Space\nthem 10 – 18\u02dd apart in the row, with 4 – 6 ft between rows (trenches). You\nmight want to plant something else in between the rows to temporarily make use of the empty space.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Roots<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Asparagus is usually grown from one or two year old roots. The two\nyear old plants produce earlier, but one year old plants are generally better.\nThese are not only cheaper, but can eventually out-produce the older plants\nbecause they suffer less from transplant shock (asparagus doesn\u2019t really like\ntransplanting). They are also less troubled by disease, probably because of\ntheir more vigorous root system. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you can\u2019t plant the crowns\nas soon as you get them, they should be stored in a cool place in the shade\n(ideally at 40\u02daF and 90% humidity).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Planting roots<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Asparagus can be planted out in early spring, as soon as the soil\nis in workable condition (and at least 50\u02daF).\nHowever there is no rush, as it will take up to three years before you get a\ngood harvest. Some people say late spring is actually better, as the plants\nwill start growing faster in the warmer soil. This means there is less danger\nof loss to rot. Transplant only the best individuals and discard any weak or\ninferior roots (or plant them in the ornamental garden).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Planting<\/strong>: Both one and two year old crowns are planted in the same way.\nThe traditional procedure is to dig a hole or trench 18\u02dd wide and 12\u02dd deep. Put\na small mound of compost in the trench, along with a source of phosphorus and\nspread the roots out over the mound. Cover the root with a 2\u02dd layer of a soil\nmix (3 parts soil to 1 part compost) and water thoroughly. As the plants grow,\nslowly fill up the trench with more of the same mix. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Recent opinion is that you don\u2019t have to be quite so careful in\nyour planting. It is now thought that gradual burial isn\u2019t necessary and that\nyou can just fill the hole loosely with soil up to the original level. Careful\nspreading of the roots probably isn\u2019t necessary either.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shallow\nplanting<\/strong>: Researchers have\nfound that asparagus yields more and earlier, if planted at a depth of only 6\u02dd,\nrather than the traditional 12\u02dd. This fact can also be used to give you more\nflexibility in harvesting, as you can have some early yielding (shallow\nplanted) plants and some later yielding (deep planted) plants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spacing:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rows<\/strong>: The recommended row spacing is 18 – 24\u02dd\n(depending upon the fertility of the soil) between plants, with 5 ft between\nthe rows. This gives the plants plenty of room to fill in as they grow, but\nalso provides for good air circulation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It has been found that wider spacing produces\nmore shoots and they also tend to be larger. In tests it was found that plants\nspaced 24\u02dd apart, produced twice as many spears as plants that were closer\ntogether. This can give you the same harvest while using less plants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beds<\/strong>: In a 5 foot wide bed you might plant three rows, with 18\u02dd\nbetween the rows and 18\u02dd between the plants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Care<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Asparagus is an independent plant, but if given even a moderate\namount of care, it will be much more productive. A well cared for asparagus bed\nshould last for thirty years or more, but it can deteriorate quickly if\nneglected or over\u2011harvested. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Weeds<\/strong>: If you conscientiously removed all perennial weeds before\nplanting your asparagus bed and apply a thick mulch, then weeds should not be a\nbig problem. They will need occasional weeding in their first year, but these\nvigorous perennials get tall and soon outgrow most weeds. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You should give the established bed an occasional maintenance\nweeding to stop new weeds getting established or seeding. Hand weeding is\nrecommended, so as not to disturb the shallow feeder roots. Traditionally weeds\nwere killed with salt water, as asparagus is very salt tolerant, but this is no\nlonger recommended as it is bad for the soil (and everything else).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Volunteer asparagus seedlings can become weeds themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Watering<\/strong>: It is important to keep the soil moist (not wet) while the\nplants are young. Older plants are quite drought tolerant and rarely need\nwatering in areas with summer rainfall. The\namount of water they get in summer is important because it determines how much\nfood they can store and how many shoots they will produce in the following\nspring. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In very dry areas they should receive an occasional deep watering\nto keep the plants growing vigorously. If they get too dry they may go dormant\nin summer, which is not good because it means they are not storing food for\nnext year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Automated drip irrigation works best as it means you can forget about\nthese low maintenance plants altogether.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Generally the plants don\u2019t need much watering while they are\nproducing spears in spring, because there is usually plenty of moisture in the\nsoil and they aren\u2019t photosynthesizing very much. Once the ferns start to\nunfurl they require more water. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Plants are often allowed to dry out in September so they will stop\ngrowing and start to store food for the winter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fertilization<\/strong>: Asparagus isn\u2019t a very hungry plant and doesn\u2019t need a lot of\nfertilization, but you have to think about this carefully because it is a\nperennial. Most nutrients will be supplied by mulching (see below), but to\nencourage maximum production you can also give them a foliar feed of compost\ntea or liquid kelp, once or twice in the season. In poor soil you might also\napply a side dressing of fertilizer mix either before emergence or after you\nfinish harvesting. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Renewal<\/strong>: If a plant starts to\ndecline you can dig it up in winter and divide it. Separate the plant into\nseparate pieces, each with several growing buds. Replant them as if they were\nnew crowns. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mulch<\/strong>: The best way to fertilize asparagus is with a nitrogen rich\nmulch of compost, aged manure or seaweed (asparagus loves seaweed), applied in\nfall. This works well because asparagus is shallow rooted and most of its\nfeeder roots are near the surface. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Newly planted beds have a lot of bare soil, which should be\ncovered with mulch to prevent soil degradation. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Problems<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pests<\/strong>: Asparagus beetles, cucumber beetles, aphids, leafhoppers,\nasparagus miners, Japanese beetles, tarnished plant bugs, thrips and cutworms\nall attack asparagus, but their damage isn\u2019t usually too serious. Just keep an\neye on the foliage to make sure the damage doesn\u2019t get out of hand. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Slugs can be devastating to the young plants. I once had a whole\nplanting wiped out by slugs. Every time the plants re\u2011sprouted they were cut down again. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I once had another problem where whole fronds were disappearing,\nleaving just a stub. This perplexed me, I just couldn\u2019t figure out what would\ndo that kind of localized damage. It turned out my girlfriend was taking the\npretty ferns for use in flower arrangements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Disease<\/strong>: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fusarium wilt<\/strong>, Verticillium wilt<\/strong>: These diseases may\nbe seed borne so if in doubt you should treat seed with hot water (122\u02daF\nfor 25 minutes) or dilute bleach solution (be careful with this as you can\ndamage the seed). Some varieties are resistant \/ tolerant. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Crown rot<\/strong> (Fusarium moniliforme<\/em>) and Asparagus rust<\/strong> (Puccinia asparagi<\/em>) can also be serious problems and can survive in soil for years. Many newer varieties are resistant to rust. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gophers<\/strong>: These creatures love asparagus as much as humans. If these are a\nproblem, you will have to protect each individual plant with a good sized\nbasket of gopher wire. There is nothing more discouraging than finally having\nyour plants start to produce after several years, and then see them disappear\ndown a gopher hole (except maybe never seeing them again and not knowing why).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Control<\/strong>: Asparagus often self-sows all over the\nplace and can become a minor weed problem. I don\u2019t mind though as they can be a\ngood source of plants for transplanting, bartering or giving away. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Self sown seedlings can be a significant problem for commercial\ngrowers however. They often stop the plants from self-seeding by cutting the\ntops in fall, when the foliage begins to turn yellow. If you only have a few\nplants you could simply remove the berries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Harvesting<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

When<\/strong>: The year after planting the roots you can get your first small\nharvest. Do this quite sparingly and only harvest for 2 – 3 weeks. This cutting\ncan actually stimulate the plants to create more buds. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The second year you might harvest for a month (or longer if the\nplants are very healthy). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

From the third year onward you can harvest for 6 weeks or more.\nThe state of the plants will tell you when to stop harvesting. If most of the\nshoots are less than 3\/8\u02dd in diameter then it\u2019s time to stop picking.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The emergence of the first spears is dependent on soil temperature\nand starts when it gets up to 50\u02daF. You can\nstart gathering the shoots when they reach 6 – 8\u02dd in height and are\nstill tightly closed. As the temperature rises the shoots will start to emerge more rapidly and you may have\nto harvest daily to keep up. Once the tightly curled tops start to loosen, the\nshoot starts to toughen and eventually becomes inedible, so pick them before\nthis happens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The growth of the spears varies according to the weather and can\nbe slow in cool temperatures or very rapid in favorable conditions (in some\nsituations it may be necessary to harvest twice daily). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You may be surprised to find that the small spears are often tougher\nthan large ones. This happens when they grow more slowly and so contain more\nlignin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you are harvesting for personal use you don\u2019t care if the\nspears are crooked or bent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How<\/strong>: The best way to harvest is to snap the shoot off down at ground\nlevel (any remaining stub will dry up and disappear). This also has the\nadvantage that it breaks where it gets tender. The traditional method is to cut\nthem with a knife just above the crown, but there is a danger that you will\ndamage emerging buds. Keep them cold after harvest for best flavor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Don\u2019t harvest too many spears from a single root in one season, as\nyou can weaken it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Storage<\/strong>: The spears can be stored in a plastic bag in the fridge for 7 –\n10 days. For longer-term storage freezing works best.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After harvest<\/strong>: The beds must be treated properly after harvest because it is the summers growth that provides energy for the following years crop. The larger the ferns get, the more food they produce and the bigger the future harvest. Keep the plants well watered and watch for signs of pests or disease.

If you must cut back the plants in fall, don\u2019t do it while they are green, wait until they die off. Actually it\u2019s best not to cut back the tops at all, as they help to protect the crown and can hold snow in place over the winter.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unusual growing methods<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ornamental use<\/strong>: With its feathery, light green foliage asparagus is undeniably\nan attractive plant. As it can take up a lot of room for relatively low return,\nthere is a good argument to be made for putting it in the ornamental garden\ninstead of the vegetable garden. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Male<\/strong> plants<\/strong>: Asparagus plants are dioecious, which means\nthere are separate male and female plants. It has been found that male plants\nproduce up to 25% more spears than females, though they tend to be slightly\nsmaller. Another benefit of male plants (for commercial growers at least) is\nthat they don\u2019t self-seed. There are now a number of cultivars that produce all\nmale plants.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Forcing<\/strong>: To get an earlier crop the roots can be forced in spring, as\ndescribed under Rhubarb<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Delayed harvest<\/strong>: One way to get a longer asparagus harvest is to initially\nharvest from only half of your bed. When this half begins to slow down, after 6\nweeks, cut down all the new growth on the other half and it will send up a\nfresh crop of shoots. You can then cut from this for a further 4 – 6 weeks. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is also possible to get shoots later in the year, by cutting\nthe plants right down to the ground, which forces them to send up more. This\npractice runs the risk of weakening the plants however.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Wild garden<\/strong>: Asparagus is a long lived perennial and is often found on the\nsites of abandoned gardens. If it can do this then it can also grow in your\nnon-abandoned garden with equal ease. It does well as a border for the\nvegetable garden, or at the edge of a forest garden (it does need plenty of sun\nthough).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Propagation<\/strong>: You can propagate asparagus vegetatively be dividing the crowns.\nJust make sure each piece has several buds. This is useful if you want to\nmultiply a small number of special plants (or any of the hybrids). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Seed saving<\/strong>: You don\u2019t really need to save asparagus seed as it is a\nperennial, but it is easy enough to do. The plants are insect pollinated, so to\nkeep a variety pure there should be no other asparagus varieties (or wild\nplants) within a mile. The plants are dioecious and only the female plants\nproduce the red berries, each containing 6 seeds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Varieties<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Choosing the right variety is particularly important with\nasparagus because you will be living with it for many years. You can\u2019t change\nto a different variety without starting all over again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you buy your asparagus plants locally you will only have a\nlimited choice of varieties. If you want an unusual variety you will probably\nhave to mail order it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Connovers Colossal <\/strong>– An old variety, good for growing from seed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Argenteuil\n<\/strong>– Rust resistant French\nvariety.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Martha Washington <\/strong>– An old standard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mary\nWashington<\/strong> – Another time tested classic. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Purple\nPassion<\/strong> – Has\npurple spears that are supposed to be sweeter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hybrids<\/strong>: There are now quite a few hybrids that produce very vigorous all male\nplants. These don\u2019t waste energy producing seeds, so are more productive than\nfemale plants. Generally I hesitate to grow hybrids, because I like to save my\nown seed, but in this case you only need to plant it once, so it isn\u2019t really\nan issue. If you do want to multiply them you can always divide the plants<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I have read that the hybrids can start to lose vigor after a few\nyears and don\u2019t last as long as the older varieties (I don\u2019t know how true this\nis, but it wouldn\u2019t surprise me).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All males<\/strong>: These include <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jersey Giant <\/strong>–\nProlific and rust resistant<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jersey\nKnight – <\/strong>Prolific\nand rust resistant<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Supermale\n<\/strong>– Are supposed to\nproduce twice as many spears as other types.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kitchen use<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The traditional way to cook asparagus is to tie\nthe spears together in a bundle and boil them upright. The tender tip is out of\nthe water and is cooked by the rising steam (if under water it would be\novercooked). They need about 10 minutes to cook sufficiently. Gourmets with too\nmuch disposable income can buy special tall asparagus pans, specifically\ndesigned for cooking it to perfection. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The problem with boiling asparagus is that it leaches out some of\nthe valuable nutrients. It is better to steam or roast it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Asparagus soup<\/strong>  <\/strong>

This is a great way to use an over-abundance of asparagus.  
1 lb asparagus
1 medium onion
1 \u00bd cups vegetable stock
1 cup soy milk
1 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
1 tsp salt
\u00bd tsp black pepper  

Simmer the asparagus and chopped onion with a \u00bd cup of vegetable
stock until tender. Put it in a blender and puree until completely smooth. Melt the butter in a pan, with the flour and salt and pepper and cook for 2 minutes, stirring to prevent it turning brown or burning. Add the rest of the stock and bring to the boil, stirring to make it smooth. Then add the
soy milk and the asparagus puree and heat up thoroughly, stirring
occasionally.   <\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Asparagus officinalis Introduction: This native of coastal areas of Eurasia has been prized as a gourmet food since the ancient Greeks. The newly emerging spring shoots are regarded as one … Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2822,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[239],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1554","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-perennial-vegetables","entry"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/asparagus-plant2.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1554","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1554"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1554\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2823,"href":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1554\/revisions\/2823"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2822"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1554"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1554"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/greenmanpublishing.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1554"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}