I would like to buy some asparagus roots and I was thinking Mary Washington, anyone growing asparagus and what varieties do you think have the best eating quality?
Also, I know they are supposed to be 18 inches in rows, but I wanted to put asparagus only in one 4’ x 4’ raised bed, how far from sides can I start?
You can plant them close to the walls all way around. If you use plenty of compost each year and fertilize them well in spring just before they come up, you can space them about a foot apart. I grow only Martha Washington so I cannot say how they compare but we have enjoyed them many years. I can mail you seed if you want to start them from seeds. Will take two years to harvest if started this year. So by 2026 they could be harvested. If you go with roots no harvest until 2025. You need to let them grow full ferns the first year after planting roots.
Dennis
Kent, Wa
The newer all-male hybrid varieties of asparagus will be more productive than Mary Washington. I don’t know what newer varieties are available in the US, but I’ve had good results from the Jersey Giant/Knight varieties.
I planted some millelium variety, they are supposed to have good disease resistance and high yields.
Thank you, you are so kind!
I have seen a lot of Mary Washington, but I have not seen her sister Martha how do you like her spears?
We’ve been at our property about three years and a lot‘s been going on but we started with just dirt, literally, so we had to get sheds, a tent and with all these things I want to do here, there never seems to be enough time.
Some people say, the new varieties are all male, but it doesn’t look like they are to me. It looks like they might have a lesser incidence of females.
Do you pull your females or leave them there?
I was reading about millennium, sounds like a good good new variety.
I was looking at UC 157 roots yesterday and reading about them. I don’t think that’s a new variety though because they’re already selling F2 seeds.
But it must be good if they’re starting a second generation.
Most boring name though.
I read they are not propagating the jersey series any longer. Some still might be out there though.
How cool, it’s kinda like you’re conducting an experiment while creating your own strain of asparagus.
How long before you know what’s mail and what’s female do they have to be fully mature?
I am doing a tomato and pepper experiment in my location and it could be a total bust, but I’m going to try anyways. We are learning and adapting to location and this year I’m throwing tomatoes in pots in same soil with same food retain and I think I have at least 15 varieties that I planted seeds for and a lot of peppers as well and I’m going to see what happens. The goal is to find a tomato and pepper that we really like and that also does well here.
Once we figure that out, then we have a plan for what we grow every year.
I’m also planting other seeds but it’s the tomatoes and peppers that give us trouble.
So far all that has sprouted is the Richmond, green apple cucumber. Looks like the best Alpha is not far behind, but it’s too cold for those tomato and peppers to sprout yet I think. It was snowing yesterday.
The first year we put a zucchini plant in a 4 x 4 raised bed, and it turned into the biggest darn zucchini plant I’ve ever seen, I kid you not it look like it belong in Jurassic Park. Not a single zucchini, but the most beautiful zucchini plant you’ve ever seen lol, we’ve made some stupid mistakes but lots of lessons learned.
I just harvest them more later in the season unless I want more seeds. Their spears are as good as males
I agree with @DennisD that you can plant them pretty close to the edge and 12" apart. Asparagus like lots of moisture in the summer but not in the winter, so they grow more slowly in the PNW than in other regions (unless you are in Bend or Spokane).
I think @vitog is right about choosing male hybrids–with such a small growing area, if you don’t remove the berries every fall, you will have a ton of little volunteer asparagus plants (an especially undesirable crowd if you go with 12" spacing).
I had good luck with Millineum my first year in WI. I bought dormant crowns of Jersey giant, Jersey knight, Millenium, and purple passion last spring.
Haven’t had any spears to sample but my observation was the Millineum had by far the most growth-I mean twice as much and the 2 jersey varieties. I actually had to move a handful of Millineum to a different part of the garden a week ago and I was shocked how massive each plants roots were after one year.
Jerseys grew well, purple passion put on only decent growth. Soil they’re all growing in is average, I used fertilizer and compost halfway through last year on everything.
I planted millennium and purple passion crowns a few years ago. They both grow great for me and taste fantastic. Last year was the first year I had some good spears. So far purple is bigger but that could change. I have never had a successful asparagus bed before so it’s exciting that this year we will get to enjoy it.
I bought and planted Jersey Giant last year, along with two new Canadian varieties that are supposed to be successors to Millennium: Eclipse and Equinox.
