Asparagus is a great plant for water retention and anyone who is a fan, cooked or snapped straight from the plot, will know how succulent it is.
New asparagus crowns need to be planted in soil that has been plied extensively with well rotted manure and a healthy dose of other organic material because afterwards, disturbing of the crowns can damage the plants and diminish the chances of a healthy crop.
Once planted, the crowns need to be rowed up and I waited (in the first year only) for the spears to appear before I gradually heaped the soil over the top.
Subsequent seasons I manured heavily and I have even urinated on top of the row so the ammonia could break down over the winter to provide a boost of nitrogen growth (for hygiene sake, do not pee over the plants within six weeks of harvest:-0))
Have a look at my asparagus now. This picture has been taken one week after I had harvested the first spears of the season.
I have to say that fifty percent of the first crop were a little tough and extremely large (I also overcooked them which spoilt the experience).
This second flush are much finer and more delicate and a size that most of us would appreciate a little more with our meal.
I am just about to have asparagus and fresh crusty bread for my lunch.
A very interesting point to note - and I would love to hear from anyone who has grown asparagus for a long time - is that all of the spears, bar none, are facing directly away from the sun.
Bearing in mind that asparagus likes full sun I am at odds to understand this. Is it peculiar to my crop or is it a natural habit; I have been unaware of it before.
I will try and take a picture later in the day to see if the spears remain in this position or move as the sun moves.
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