| What are the procedures for planting asparagus? Which end goes up? Is it the short knubby end, or the long finger-like ends? |
| Plant purchased asparagus roots or crowns in early spring. To prepare the bed, first choose a spot with good drainage and plenty of sun. Then, dig trenches about a foot deep and 4 or 5 feet apart. Add a layer of well-rotted manure or compost 4 or 5 inches deep in the bottom of the ditch. You can also add some bone meal--a good source of phosphorus to encourage root growth. Add back some of the soil you removed, mixing it in with the compost/bonemeal. Form a little mound along the length of the trench. Set out the crowns on the top of this mound, spreading out the long, finger-like roots down over the mound. Space plants about 2 feet apart. Then bury the roots with 3 or 4 inches of soil, packing it carefully around the crowns and water them gently. As theshoots emerge, keep adding more soil around them, until the trenches are filled to ground level. |
