Monthly Archives: March 2021

Grow Asparagus

Asparagus is one of the longest living vegetable you can have in your garden, it can live 12-15 years. Take advantage of this valuable, early vegetable that is adapted to freezer storage and plant some today!

Since asparagus is longer lived it generally takes longer to get growing. While you can start them by seed we strongly recommend starting with asparagus crowns that are 1-2 years old. We carry only the male varieties of asparagus as they are better producers.

Inspect the crowns when you are purchasing them, making sure they feel full and moist. Once you purchase the crowns be sure they don’t dry out by keeping them moist but not soaking. Misting occasionally and keeping them in a shady & cool but not freezing location will keep them healthy.

Choose the Perfect Site

The most important part about planting asparagus is choosing a location where they can live for the length of their life. Since the asparagus foliage grows tall in summer and can flop, make sure you place them where they will not shade other sun loving vegetables. This means the perfect spot for them in a vegetable garden is the northern side. If that isn’t available the next best area is the western exposure.

Ensure that site has full sun ???? (6 hrs +) and has good drainage (clay should be broken up with pine mulch) . Enrich the bed with good compost (our favorite is Bumper Crop).

Traditionally, asparagus crowns are set in a trench 12-inches deep and 12- to 18-inches wide, with 4 to 5 feet between trenches. But many gardeners are successful placing crowns in the bottom of a 6 inch trench. Crowns should be spaced 15 to 18 inches apart and raised slightly above the roots. Remove any rotted roots before planting. Spread the roots out over a 2-inch mound of soil at the bottom of the trench and cover the crown completely with soil. Firm well and keep the bed well watered.

It is important to keep the weeds at bay, especially before the first shoots come up. If need you can use corn gluten which prevents weed seeds from germinating and is organic.

Harvesting Asparagus

  • Harvest Asparagus lightly in their second year for only 3-4 weeks, as the root systems are still developing. If you harvest too heavily while the plant is young it will become weakened.
  • If planting from seed do not harvest for the first two season, and only lightly the third.
  •  When the asparagus plants are in their fourth season, harvest for 8 to 10 weeks per year.
  • Harvest spears daily during the harvest period. The 6- to 8-inch spears should be snapped off just below the soil surface. If the asparagus is allowed to get much taller, the bases of the spears will be tough and will have to be cut. Cutting too deeply can injure the crown buds, which produce the next spears. To blanch (whiten) the spears, mound soil around them or otherwise exclude light so they do not form chlorophyll in the stalks.
  • Allow the spears to grow once the harvest is over (after 8 to 10 weeks). Some gardeners prefer to support the growing foliage with stakes and strings to keep the bed tidy. In high-wind areas, it is a good idea to plant the rows parallel to the prevailing winds so that the plants support each other to some extent.

    • There are several ways to extend the harvest period

      • Plant at different depths (4”, 6”, 8”, 10”). The shallower plantings will come up first and can be harvested while the deeper plantings are just forming. This method will result in a slightly longer harvest, but the plants may be less vigorous.
      •  Remove mulch from half of the asparagus bed and leave mulch on the other half. The exposed soils will warm up more quickly, and the crowns will sprout earlier. Remove mulch from the second bed when spears begin to appear.
      • Plant double the amount of asparagus needed for your household. Harvest half of the plants as you normally would in spring and early summer and allow the ferns to grow in the other half of the asparagus planting. Then, cut the ferns in the un-harvested plot in late July. The crowns will send up new spears, which can be harvested till late in the season. Keep plants well-watered. A light mulch will aid in spear emergence. When using this method, harvest the spring bed only in spring and the fall bed only in fall. Otherwise you risk weakening the crowns.

 

Grow Your Own Veggies Guide

Grow Your Own Vegetables

Growing your own fresh vegetables is such a rewarding process. If you are a beginner, it can seem overwhelming at first but the best way to learn is to try! If you are a seasoned gardener there is always something new to learn or a new challenge.

Plan the Garden & Select a Site

Growing vegetables requires a lot of light and good soil. Sometime we are limited by our space but don’t give up as you can grow in containers or raised gardens. Choose an area that receives at minimum 6 hours of sunlight a day, is well draining and is near a water source. Start small and expand when ready, a great starter size is 50-75 sq feet. Be realistic and select vegetables that you and your family enjoy eating.

What to Grow

In Maryland we have “cool-season” veggies that grow in early spring (i.e., lettuce, spinach, root veggies) and “warm-season” veggies that aren’t planted until the soil warms up (i.e., tomatoes, peppers).  Cool season vegetables can handle air temperatures as cool as 40 degrees, typically they are planted 2-4 weeks before the average last frost date. Warm season crops need the air temperature above 50 degrees and grow best when air is 75 degrees or above.

Top 10 Easy Vegetables

  1. Lettuce (cool season)
  2. Green Beans (warm season)
  3. Radishes (cool season)
  4. Tomatoes (warm season) Bush & Cherry types are the easiest
  5. Zucchini (warm season)
  6. Peppers (warm season)
  7. Beets (cool season)
  8. Cucumbers (warm season)
  9. Chard, Spinach, Kale (cool season)
  10. Peas (cool season)

Prepare your soil and plant

Remove any sod and dig in at least 2” of compost our favorite is Bumper Crop.  Not only does compost add nutrients that the plants will need, it also retains moisture longer than topsoil. It’s always a good idea to test your soil so you know the nutrient and PH levels. If gardening by seed be sure to plan ahead according to seed packets, while seed starts can be purchased when you are ready to plant. Follow planting guide lines for seeds, our Botanical Interest seed packets have great detail on the inside of the seed packet (some even have recipes!). If planting seed starts make sure you harden them off before planting. When planting tomatoes they can be planted extra deep, up to their first set of leaves. Other vegetables should be planted at the same depth as their pot. All vegetable starts benefit from the soil being dug twice the width of their root-ball and then incorporating a handful of compost and an application of Tomato-Tone around them.

 

Caring for your Garden

  • Water deeply around the base of your vegetable plants, as necessary, to keep the roots systems moist. Frequent, shallow watering is good only for newly planted seeds—not mature plants.
  • Water in the morning when possible. Use a soaker hose or drip irrigation system to reduce water use.
  • Fertilize as necessary based on your soil test recommendations.
    • Tomatoes are heavy feeders and benefit from multiple applications of Tomato-Tone.
  • Control weeds by laying down organic mulches, slicing or chopping weeds with a hoe, and hand-pulling. Start early, as soon as weeds appear.
  • Support tomato, pepper, and cucumber plants with stakes or trellises to save space.
  • Monitor plants regularly for problems

Enjoy the Harvest