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  • From: jay sleichter <jaysleichter AT yahoo.com>
  • To: Market Farming <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Starting an organic asparagus patch
  • Date: Thu, 10 Sep 2009 07:34:32 -0700 (PDT)

I have a question about starting an organic asparagus patch. The methods don't have to be organic, I am not certified, but I try to minimize spraying.  How do you do it so you won't have the weeds?  We have a problem with crab grass and bind weed.  We started a very small patch several years ago, enough for our family to eat. We battle weeds all the time.  We mow it off and hand pull but that isn't enough. I would like to grow more so we can have it for early sales in May. 

My question, what is the best way to get these beds established?  Planting seed or crowns?  If I plant seed will I be 3 years before I have sellable asparagus?  If I plant crowns, will I have sellable asparagus in two years?  Also, how successful is it to transplant asparagus?  I know where there are some older patches by old farmhouses that have been abandoned.  I know the owners and they would probably let me have it for free. Would it be worth it?

I live in North Central Kansas, what varieties work best for you?

Thanks

Jay
--- On Thu, 9/10/09, GlenEcoFarm <Glenecofarm AT planetcomm.net> wrote:

From: GlenEcoFarm <Glenecofarm AT planetcomm.net>
Subject: Re: [Market-farming] organic asparagus
To: "Market Farming" <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
Date: Thursday, September 10, 2009, 6:19 AM

I have been mulching our asparagus with wood shavings from our neighbor's
horse stalls.  It seems to help, because the horse manure has nitrogen and
boron.
We are living in a limestone rock/soil area.

Our neighbors seem to have even better success by cutting or burning the old
asparagus canes in winter/spring and fertilizing with his mule manure.  When
his asparagus patch is about mid season in harvesting he mows asparagus and
weeds down losing one week of harvest.  Thereafter he cuts the weeds between
the rows with a weed eater.
My perennial battle has been keeping the weeds from outgrowing the
asparagus.
Fighting for asparagus,
Christine from VA

Sent: Wednesday, September 09, 2009 6:16 PM
Subject: [Market-farming] organic asparagus


>
> We're in our first year of growing organic asparagus, five 200-foot
> rows.
>
> We didn't mulch it right off and now we're facing the question of,
> really, what are we doing?
>
> With the high cost of straw, is it really the only option for growing
> organic asparagus?  We can get woodchips free from the city and I want
> to start using those to mulch in the paths in our perennial flower
> beds, but I"m nervous about using them elsewhere as mulch, lest they
> suck all the N out of the ground.
>
> Is anyone growing asparagus without mulch?
>
> We're thinking we'll plant Dutch white clover in the paths as a
> permanent cover and then just have to bite the bullet on the cost and
> mulch it heavily with straw every year in the beds themselves.
>
> Thoughts?
>
> (Sorry to bring things back to such mundane matters after all the good
> conversation re seeds)
>
>
> --
> Rachel Evans
> The Sunshine Farm
> 37 Highway 97A
> Chelan, WA 98816
>
> 509-670-8958
> rachel AT sunshinefarmmarket.com
>
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Market-farming mailing list
> Market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org
> http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/market-farming
>
>

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