Asparagus ‘Mary Washington’
- Botanical Name
- Asparagus officinalis
- Family
- Liliaceae
- Plant Type
- Herbaceous perennial
- Size (HxW)
- 60-120cm x 40-60cm Depth & Spacing: Prior to planting, prepare the soil with organic matter, it is a good idea to add phosphorus to the soil, or a fertiliser which is high in that element (the fertiliser will not burn the crowns). Plant the crowns 5-10cm beneath the soil and space 40cm apart. Plant the crown over a ridge, with the roots dangling either side then fill the soil in around the crown. Try not to compact the soil after planting, just fill the hole and water in. Don’t plant them too close together or there will not be enough air flow which can create mildew on the plants. Do not plant in areas where the onion family have just been growing as they are affected by the same diseases. You can water them in with a plant tonic such as Seasol to give them a good start.
- Soil
- Will grow well in most soils as long as there is good drainage. Preferred PH is 6.5-7.5.
- Aspect
- Full sun to semi shade
- Climate
- Cool to Mediterranean
- Frost
- Half hardy. In cold climates, late frost can damage young spears, adding mulch in winter will help protect the emerging spears. The frost won’t kill the crown. Water: Asparagus searches for water with long roots so it is quite drought tolerant. It will, however, require the soil to remain moist during establishment. You should also water if rainfall is low during cropping so stalk production is not hindered.
- Fertiliser
- 10-20-10 Nitrogen, Phosphate and Potassium fertiliser is best. Apply to the soil prior to planting and annually prior to and after cropping.
- Harvest Time
- Summer. We recommend waiting to harvest until the second year, so the plant has time to establish. The first spears will produce foliage which will in turn feed the plant giving you delicious spears in the future. In the second year only harvest half the spears – so the crown can fully establish. Harvest spears when they are 15-20cm by snapping them off at the base, be careful not to break off buds from the crown as you are doing this, the base will simply die back. If you aren’t going to eat them straight away, plunge the spears into cold water after picking to prolong their shelf life. In the third year, once established, during the picking season, pick all the ready spears at once to prevent the fern like leaf growth. You should be able to harvest several times over the summer, as the new buds develop into spears. Once harvesting has finished and the spears are spindly, allow the stalks to grow and fern out – this will feed the plant and the shadow will reduce weed growth.
- Notes
- These are one year old asparagus crowns - so in their second year. Keep an eye out for slugs and snails who also enjoy Asparagus! Do not remove the foliage from the plant until winter is over, it provides protection, increases photosynthesis and helps to regulate soil temperature. Plants are long lived and you can get as many as 20 years production from each crown.
