I just bought some asparagus crowns. Any suggestion about how I should plant these? Special soil, fertilizer?
I find them pretty hardy and will take a variety of soils and conditions (my mother actually grows them in zone 2), but this is the easiest way to handle them... 1) Dig a trench that is 6 inches deep for the crowns. Plant the crowns in the trench, about 1 foot apart, and cover them with 2 inches of soil. Add an inch of soil to the trench every two weeks, as long as the plants are growing. If they are not growing, hold off on adding more soil until they do. Work toward filling the trench to level by the end of the first growing season. 2) Water the plants every week as a general rule, but dig into the soil a little to check for moisture and adjust your watering schedule if needed. Asparagus thrives in moist but well-drained soil. Keep the bed free of weeds. Whatever you do, DO NOT cut any of the asparagus shoots the first year. Allow the plants to grow, then yellow and die. Use the dead foliage as additional compost. In year two, cut a few of the stalks that are at least as big around as your finger. Enjoy the real harvest in year three. Snap off the stalks as they reach about 6 inches in height. Don't harvest every stalk to ensure a good crop the next year, and always leave the asparagus foliage to stand all summer and fall. Read more : http://www.ehow.com/how_5484646_plant-asparagus-roots.html
i have grown them successfully in the area you are in - sunny, sheltered, sandy (almost gravelly) soil, for sure well-drained. We basically used to forget them - let the fronds (not terribly tidy looking) grow all season after the harvest - and then tidy up during spring clean up. i have no idea what variety they were (are) - one thing for sure is choose a PERMANENT spot where you don't mind the tall fluffy (messy looking) fronds - and do NOT move the plants - it takes several years to establish and produce. i don't know about growing in pots - that might be a solution in a smaller - more ornamental designer type of garden. i see that West Coast SEeds (some of my fav seeds come from there) - they sell crowns.
Yes that is where I got them. I have planted them away from my garden and we will see how it goes. They are in full sun.