Strawberries and asparagus and garlic

[Oakgrove99]

I am wanting to grow these next year. I planted asparagus last year but it came up sprout and sparce. Any advice on these?

 

[BBQJOE]

I am wanting to grow these next year. I planted asparagus last year but it came up sprout and sparce. Any advice on these?

I would like to try doing asparagus too! IIRC, it takes a couple of years for it to develop.

 

[OrganicFarmWife]

Asparagus takes time to get established. I have been told the best way to get asparagus to grow is to pour salt water on it. The asparagus handles the salt fine, but it kills all the other plants, giving the asparagus more space to grow

 

[appps]

I've been struggling with my strawberries for a couple of years but think I've finally worked out why I get such small fruit. I've been reading that it's due to the amount of sunlight they get over winter. I'd put mine in a sunny spot when I planted in summer but that turned out to only get about 2 hours sun in winter. So check for your sunny spot in winter before planting, at least 6 hrs. I've built a new bed for mine and will be moving them when our weather cools down a bit.

 

[appps]

I would like to try doing asparagus too! IIRC, it takes a couple of years for it to develop.

Same here. Pretty sure you aren't supposed to pick the first year either, just let them grown to get a good root system established

 

[Weehopper]

I believe that you don't get any real size in the first year, maybe two. They gain size from year to year.
I know, it's hard to wait Lots of articles on the subject on gardening sites on the net.

 

[Weehopper]

Here's one link: http://www.almanac.com/plant/asparagus

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Asparagus you needed to plant correctly according to the directions, never pick the first year, second year only pick those larger than your finger in diameter, than third year harvest normally, stop when the stalks become thin, allow the foliage to remain until after a frost, cut back in fall or spring.

Strawberries you plant the root crown on a small mound of dirt, spreading out the roots, not too deep, space them out a bit, they will grow runners which you can pinch out or allow to root, mulch well to keep the berries off the ground and the ground moist, thin and replace old plants as necessary, water on a regular basis.

Garlic needs to be planted in the fall, one clove per hole, not the whole bulb, about 2-4 weeks before a killing frost about 1-2 inches deep. Allow to grow until the tops begin to die down, dig up and cure in shady dry place, take in the house before it freezes, making sure to pick out some to replant. There are many varieties, hard necked and soft, I grow one that has large cloves, the smaller cloved ones got away from me and were like a weed, also dead head any flowers that form.

 

[shortgrass]

Asparagus... Probably DHs FAVORITE veg, hands down!

We have a good stand that his mom planted 25 years ago, still going strong, and I just planted some purple variety around the yard 2 years ago...

But THIS is what we get wild around here!

Sorry about the poor quality pic lol, it was on my old phone

The one on my left is from the garden, the one on the right us from a stray patch that has been growing in the bar ditch on the side if a cornfield for 20 years, and it pops out stalks like that from May-July every year!

We go to the river and hunt wild for 2 months every spring, too. It gets huge in the river basin from all the great fertilizer

Tip on it, don't pick until its at least pencil sized, quit picking when the shoots decrease to smaller than that.

And try to eliminate female plants, as they don't put up stalks, but bushes instead; they just don't perform like male plants.

They love full sun, nice rich well drained, highly organic soil.

Oh and water!... plenty of water in spring to make those nice big juicy shoots

 

[ChickityChina]

Asparagus... Probably DHs FAVORITE veg, hands down!

We have a good stand that his mom planted 25 years ago, still going strong, and I just planted some purple variety around the yard 2 years ago...

But THIS is what we get wild around here!



Sorry about the poor quality pic lol, it was on my old phone

The one on my left is from the garden, the one on the right us from a stray patch that has been growing in the bar ditch on the side if a cornfield for 20 years, and it pops out stalks like that from May-July every year!

We go to the river and hunt wild for 2 months every spring, too. It gets huge in the river basin from all the great fertilizer

Tip on it, don't pick until its at least pencil sized, quit picking when the shoots decrease to smaller than that.

And try to eliminate female plants, as they don't put up stalks, but bushes instead; they just don't perform like male plants.

They love full sun, nice rich well drained, highly organic soil.

Oh and water!... plenty of water in spring to make those nice big juicy shoots

That is the BIGGEST stalk I have ever seen!

I knew they liked to grow wild in ditches, but WOW.
I am planting my first asparagus this year. I have it ordered from Burpee and I can't wait to get it in the ground! and then ... wait some more... hehehe