0
points
Growing asparagus as an annual?

Asparagus    MD

Hi everyone, I would like to grow some asparagus but everything I read says not to harvest for at least two years after planting. Is it possible to grow it and just replant it next year. I may have to move due to work later this year so I don't really wan to plant it and have to start all over. I'm in MD.


Posted by: Mel (2 points) Mel
Posted: April 2, 2013




Answers

1
point
Asparagus is a perennial vegetable in this case meaning the roots will survive through winter and then it will spend up spears and leaves year after year.

If you were to grow asparagus from seed you would need to allow its roots to establish that first year and you would find the feathery fine foliage not the asparagus spears you might be expecting. Once 2 years have past your asparagus has enough root mass/energy to push out more spears that you can harvest without removing all the energy from the roots and so it would survive you harvesting some of them. once it has been rooted for 3 years you can harvest more heavily.

Basically the answer is no, the spears are the stems and leaves. By eating its first year stem you are eating its one and only stem and all its leaves. Harvesting the stem tells the plant oh crap something ate or broke, lets grow another. If you don't have enough root mass nutrients and energy to grow another you die.

If you plant one year old asparagus crowns you might be able to pull off harvesting a single spaghetti thin piece from each plant and they may recover. but I don't see that as a worth while endeavor. if your doing asparagus your looking 2-3 years out.

Now maybe you could grow it in a really large container that you could then move with you? Or you can dig up the crowns you have started to grow and transplant them when you leave.


Posted by: Wurgulf (1 point) Wurgulf
Posted: April 3, 2013


Mel commented,
I didn't think about digging up the crowns and taking them with me, great idea thank u
almost 11 years ago.



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