Four years ago, at the old place, I started in the garden to grow some asparagus from seed. Supposed to take three to four years before they are big enough to harvest, and indeed, they are the most delicate, feathery, fern like little plants the first year.
Last spring was to be the year. It had developed a significant rootball, had survived several near death traumas (one of which when the boy mistakenly sprayed it with roundup in an overenthusiastic effort to kill crabgrass. I thought that would be the end of the experiment, but no, it lived), and there was no way I was leaving "my baby" when the house sold.
So after I got the house in Redding, and built a nice raised bed for a new home, and I found the right opportunity to take a shovel to the now pretty big asparagus, dug up most of the root ball, and plunked it into a bucket for the three hour drive to Redding.
Wasn't long before I'd tucked the baby in and patted sweet, delicious soil all around it. Some clean water was added that likely began as snows on the mighty Mount Shasta sixty miles away, to give it a nice drink.
Something that never happened at the old place - snow!
Now, after all of that, just today the first sprout has broken soil. Tomorrow it'll probably be six inches taller.
So the now teenaged asparagus has survived. I couldn't help worrying, but now I'm sure it will not only survive but thrive, given time and lots of clean, cool water.
I'll likely wait to harvest for another year, letting it settle in and strengthen, but after that, I'm planning, finally, to begin the harvesting and eating. Yes, I believe my evil plan has succeeded!
Congratulations!
ReplyDeleteYes, well done, sir.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the post.
Paul L. Quandt
Patience pays!
ReplyDeleteand its like nobody cares
ReplyDeleteWhat a lovely story to wake up to during our isolation!
ReplyDeleteI never grew asparagus, but I've decided to grow something that you harvest the same way and is purported to be the world's most expensive vegetable. Hops. You harvest the first, early shoots and use them like asparagus. About a decade ago I grew three different varieties for brewing, but the roots spread everywhere and rapidly get out of control. It took me forever to get rid of them. Now that I found out that they are good eating I'm going to try growing them in a 55 gallon, plastic drum.......
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8jFxw317kQ
Stupid question but what is the disc on the cage for?
ReplyDeleteThat's Mrs. CW's way of scaring birds off. The theory is it flutters and flashes in the slightest breeze, keeping the birds wary and at a distance.
DeleteThat was kinda my guess but I had to ask.
DeleteWhat an awesome accomplishment!
ReplyDeleteI just love seeing the pics of the process.
Just WOW!!
When I lived in Grand Junction, Colorado, we'd go out and pick wild asparagus. Oh, man that was some good stuff! I didn't even like asparagus until then.
ReplyDeleteAnother home grown veggie that is really tasty compared to store bought is broccoli. It grows very well where I live now, and is so sweet and tasty that it ruined me for store bought fresh or frozen broccoli.
In 1972 or so, my father in law at the time had grown some asparagus and it was in the "fern like" stage when I volunteered to cut the grass for the in-laws....I don't think I need to continue....the only redeeming thing about this is that the next year it came back stronger than ever....
ReplyDeleteAnother blog had a picture of a pineapple growing, he said to took 3 years!
ReplyDeletecongrats! Asparagus is tougher than most people think.
ReplyDeleteFrequently soil of the type you planted it in is very acidic. Asparagus needs alkaline soil so I would recommend that you check the ph and adjust it if necessary. You can buy the ph test kit at your local gardening store and it is simple to use. ---ken
ReplyDelete