Asparagus

Did you know that you can plant asparagus one time and harvest it for fifteen years?  Actually, different websites suggest ten to twenty years.  Now that is my kind of plant!  I may have mentioned in an earlier post that our garden was going to be home to some asparagus this year.  Seeing as how this was a new venture, I chose to dedicate one of our 4' x 8' raised beds to the cause.  I purchased one year old crowns (the recommended method) from a local nursery, looked up planting tips and stuck them in the ground way back in late winter.  It took a little while, but each crown sprouted an average of three shoots.  Yeah!  Continuing my reading on the subject, it became apparent that harvesting should not be done until the third year.  That means patience.  If it means I get to harvest this nutritious vegetable for the next fifteen years or so, I can be patient.  Allowing the spears to continue to grow, you'll notice that they will soon look like a type of fern.   We all know that this year has been very hot and dry so far.  I have watered very little, but the ferns still look good.  One website suggested that the plant prefers conditions a little too dry as opposed to a little too wet, but it was also noted that if they become too hot and kept without water too long, the yield the following year will be smaller and less healthy.  That means that I need to get the hose out and do a better job.   I am keeping my fingers crossed that next year's spears will look even better and that before long my family and I can enjoy the fruits of our labor for many years.

Here are a few of my favorite websites on the subject, but there are many more out there:

http://easttexasgardening.tamu.edu/tips/veggie/asparagus.html

http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/archives/parsons/vegetables/asparagu.html

http://www.ehow.com/how_6186997_plant-texas-asparagus.html

I hope this information was helpful to anyone trying to decide what to plant next year.  As always, happy gardening!