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  • From: "breck" <bcarden AT breckinridgegroup.com>
  • To: "'Market Farming'" <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] organic asparagus
  • Date: Thu, 10 Sep 2009 21:26:13 -0400

Possibly damaging the crowns by disking could also be an issue. Mowing after
the first good freeze and flaming is how I put mine to bed for the season. I
pick all asparagus spears regardless of size then quit and allow for the
ferns to grow. I use a three strand Florida weave so I can mow between rows.
It is a matter of economics on choosing starting from seed; much cheaper and
you can pick a fair amount the third year. I have heavy clay soil so I
transplant them the same as any other transplant and make it a point to hoe
soil up and around as I am weeding. There is some research suggesting that
early picking might even be good for the asparagus as opposed to waiting
another year. Not sure if it has merit or not.

Farmer Breck

-----Original Message-----
From: market-farming-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org
[mailto:market-farming-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org] On Behalf Of GlenEcoFarm
Sent: Thursday, September 10, 2009 8:15 PM
To: Market Farming
Subject: Re: [Market-farming] organic asparagus

One clarification from Christine Burkholder:
The asparagus ferns should not be cut off until they are dead--in the winter

or early spring.
I heard that one commercial grower regularly disks his asparagus patch in
the early spring before the asparagus shoots up. The only problem with this

is compaction of the soil if the ground is wet and not frozen.


From: "John Ferree" <john AT seldomseenfarm.com>
To: "Market Farming" <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Thursday, September 10, 2009 5:32 AM
Subject: Re: [Market-farming] organic asparagus


> we've got two 5' beds that are 100' long. planted on 30" centers and
> ~18 inches. if i recall that is a good deal denser than recommended.
> haven't had a problem with yields at that density. in fact, i think it
> compete out weeds. you actually get a closed canopy. we harvest as
> long as is needed, then hit it with a mower as low as possible. then
> everything shoots up and closes canopy very quickly and suppresses
> weeds. we then mow the edges the rest of the season. if weeds are
> abig problem while still picking, we will go in with a chopping hoe to
> knock perennial weeds back. for a home scale this has worked well for
> us. . . we're also burning residues in march. (z5-6) our perennial
> weeds there tend to be goldenrod, canadian thistle, cottonwood (trees).
> we did mulch the first year, but had crazy spears with the free tree
> trimmer mulch. . . and that mulch tends to have a good deal of walnut in
> it here.
>
> i have also heard of people using a rotary tiller to scar the surface of
> the ground in the same manner that we mow. Flaming might be another
> option if you have fewer grasses than we do.
>
> john
>
> Market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org
> http://lists.ibiblio.org/mailman/listinfo/market-farming
>
>

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