asapargus in pots

[brainfarmer]

im pleased to announce the arrival of my first 1/2 dozen asparagus tips in one of the 4 pots i have been growing it in for the last 3 years. it always heralds the arrival of spring for me and the fact i ignored all the advice i read that u cant grow it in pots.

[Kayleigh]

It just goes to show if you don't try you will never know. I am growing all sorts of things in pots this year from broad beans and chillies to garlic we brought home from the IOW. I have not tried asparagus though. I may give it a go what size is the pot you used?.

[brainfarmer]

Originally Posted by Kayleigh

It just goes to show if you don't try you will never know. I am growing all sorts of things in pots this year from broad beans and chillies to garlic we brought home from the IOW. I have not tried asparagus though. I may give it a go what size is the pot you used?.

i think its 24 inches big plastic thing. i originally planted the seeds in 2001 variety 'martha washington' and was suprised at how easy they were to germinate. due to personal circumstances i was moving about a lot the 3 plants were completely neglected for 3 years but survived unscathed. i put them in these pots 3 years ago the main thing is to ensure very good drainage so i drilled big holes in the bottom of the pots, crocked them then about 4 inches of gravel. i feed them every two weeks in the growing season with a general purpose liquid fertilizer.
with seed it takes up to 3 years to get a crop so it may be easier to order 2 year old plants for quicker results.

[brainfarmer]

a funny thing has happened this year my asparagus is being attacked by slugs or snails i can see the mucous trails. they only attack the more mature spears which seems strange as on most plants they eat the most tender growth first. im considering using a fair amount of salt to deter the little buggers but wondered if anyone else had ideas.
see above for how im growing them.

[Kayleigh]

Put some chopped carrot around the base of the plants the idea they eat that in stead. Salt may harm the plants.

[brainfarmer]

i had read that asparagus can benefit from almost a top dressing of salt that was my thinking but being a coward i wondered if anyone had tried it.

[thunder]

Originally Posted by brainfarmer

i had read that asparagus can benefit from almost a top dressing of salt that was my thinking but being a coward i wondered if anyone had tried it.

I think you are correct - Asparagus can cope with salt as it's originally a coastal plant.

thunder

[Garden Carpet]

I stand pots on gravel which deters the slithery fiends.. also.. as they are in pots.. perhaps sticking some coarse sandpaper around the pot might work.
Jaki

[brainfarmer]

well despite the attacks of the molluscs i cut my first 6 spears today. there are about another 20 that will be ready to harvest in the next week. once the weather warms up that bit they grow quicker than just about anything iv'e seen. fresh organic asaparagus with salmon for tea tonight.

[smartie]

Originally Posted by Garden Carpet

I stand pots on gravel which deters the slithery fiends.. also.. as they are in pots.. perhaps sticking some coarse sandpaper around the pot might work.
Jaki

I use the copper tape that you can buy in rolls to put round my pots, and it does seem to work very well.

I'm fascinated that asparagus will grow well in pots. I must have a go. We once made an asparagus bed in a garden we had in Sheffield, tended it for two years - and moved out of the house just as the first spears were coming.

[brainfarmer]

i would never say they grow well but u get enough to have some once a week between april and june and they are suprisingly undemanding.
u can also plant garlic in the pots in oct/ november for a harvest in june july ie from when u cut the asparagus down to when u let it grow into ferns. i keep wondering what other stuff i can grow in the same pots but in 3 of the 4 pots i have you can see by were the spears grow the crowns are 2 feet at least across.

[Kayleigh]

Originally Posted by brainfarmer

i would never say they grow well but u get enough to have some once a week between april and june and they are suprisingly undemanding.
u can also plant garlic in the pots in oct/ november for a harvest in june july ie from when u cut the asparagus down to when u let it grow into ferns. i keep wondering what other stuff i can grow in the same pots but in 3 of the 4 pots i have you can see by were the spears grow the crowns are 2 feet at least across.

you could grow beetroot, spring onions, small finger carrots, radishes, rocket or salad crops. anything that grows quick and you sow in succession I grow all these in pots.

[kaz]

I've never grown asparagus and it seems a bit daunting to wait 3 years for the first crop - excuse my ignorance, but does it crop every year after that?

[brainfarmer]

yes it crops every year, ive had about 30 decent sized spears of mine this year so far and will probably get as least as much again before i stop cutting them. ive read that the plants can last 15 to 20 years and as mentioned i have mine in pots, they would crop much heavier in open ground.

[Tinkerbell]

No sign of my spears so far this year - I've never been able to cut them yet. I did pop a few carrot tops into pots last year to give a fernlike appearance to the arrangements and found that they had grown into sizeable but deformed carrots when I dug them up recently. (Two for the price of one).

Tinkerbell

[Tomgrowscress]

Ive never grown anyting before apart form cress

can anyone recomend how to grow something lol
Easy guide please

Thanks
Tom

[Kayleigh]

Originally Posted by Tomgrowscress

Ive never grown anyting before apart form cress

can anyone recomend how to grow something lol
Easy guide please

Thanks
Tom

Look on this thread there are lots of ideas.
Veg growing questions

[Tomgrowscress]

Thanks Kayleigh
I will take a look

[brainfarmer]

its a shame u cant eat the asparagus when it goes to 'fern' mine have gone mad with all my pots producing ferns of 6 feet tall i think i probablly stopped cutting them to soon. as for easy things to grow in pots i'd say strawberries easy to the point of boredom depending on variety can be grown in open ground, pots, hanging baskets and ive never not had a crop whichever way ive grown them. easy to propagate or to treat as an annual if u get them planted up early enough and very rewarding.

[Paul mabbott]

I'm nurturing some now in Sheffield! I got it growing fine in London until -----




... and there's a lot of asparagus beetle about this year so watch out!

Originally Posted by smartie

I'm fascinated that asparagus will grow well in pots. I must have a go. We once made an asparagus bed in a garden we had in Sheffield, tended it for two years - and moved out of the house just as the first spears were coming.