Preferable cultivation in mild and warm climates. ‘Martha Washington’ and ‘Mary Washington’ were names you used to see most often in catalogs, but no more. Val Bourne on the asparagus grower spearheading the best new varieties. While many sellers claim their varieties are “all male” many aren’t. I say try it! Once the crowns send up green shoots, shovel in another thin layer of soil (don’t cover the tips completely), and repeat this step through the summer until the asparagus trench is filled back in. Due to decades of cultivation experience we are capable of cultivating the best of asparagus plants. Asparagus officinalis Last modified January 4, 2010 Major changes in asparagus production have occurred in the past 20 years with most production now confined to California, Washington and Michigan. Hello, Your email address will not be published. The Jersey Series asparagus is a hybrid variety of all-male plants and includes Jersey Giant, Jersey Knight, and Jersey Supreme. (Disclosure: includes affiliate links.). Love your info- keep it coming. The lab report will indicate how to amend the soil, and with what material; the typical routes are sulfur to acidify and lime to neutralize, but neither is a quick fix—or the whole answer. In the spring the surrounding plants aren’t yet visible. Don’t cut off any foliage until cleanup of the bed in late winter or early spring. Since they don’t produce seeds, the all-male varieties can focus on growing more shoots. The payoff is obvious, if you love asparagus. Ideal for early asparagus production. ‘Viking’ is known to produce large yields. Most hybrids, such as Jersey Giant, are plants with only male flowers that produce no seeds. Recommendations. Until the last two decades, types of asparagus consisted of a mix of male and female plants. Female asparagus are easy to identify as they produce bright red berries that are toxic to humans. It is highly disease-resistant. They can be harvested more often (about every two to three days in a productive, established bed) and yield about 20 to 30 percent higher than the old varieties. Types of Asparagus All male hybrid giving improved production of spears up to 2cm (1") thick. Because asparagus stays productive for so long, it’s important to plant the best variety available for your area. Until then, simply let the plants go through their cycle of sprouting spears that turn ferny in summer. Sign up to get all the latest gardening tips! You cannot cut any spears until the third spring in the ground – a full two years after planting. Read on to learn more about different asparagus varieties, including a few heirloom asparagus types. I just recieved some freshly dug up asparagus crowns and was hoping to plant them this weekend. To prepare the bed, first test the soil pH by following the package instructions on a home test kit, or by taking a sample, according to their directions, to a local soil lab. Asparagus varieties should be both high yielding and disease resistant. Welcome! I recommend either the Jersey Knight or Jersey Giant varieties of asparagus. How to plant Asparagus roots crowns for sale, easy to plant, fast to grow, garden, gardening delight The subtitle of University of Delaware professor Doug Tallamy’s recent book, “Nature’s Best Hope,” is “A New Approach to Conservation that Starts in Your Yard.” Meaning: The choices we make all year-round, including the very important one of how we clean up, can help counteract an overdeveloped, fragmented landscape that puts the food web to the test. Plant in early spring for a small harvest in late spring. Order roots, or crowns, by mail for the freshest possible plants; they will be either one or two years old when you get them. If purple asparagus doesn’t sound appetizing, don’t worry; the color fades when the asparagus is cooked. The Jersey Giant is hardy and does well in … Who doesn’t? If you are growing an all-male cultivar, you will need to remove any female plants as well as any seedlings that appear. It comes from Canada and has excellent tolerance to cold winters. ‘Jersey Knight’ is one of the more vigorous types of asparagus; highly resistant to asparagus diseases such as crown rot, rust and fusarium wilt. Establishing a healthy bed of asparagus requires considerable work but, once established, you’ll enjoy asparagus in early spring for a very long time. ‘Jersey Knight’ is one of the more vigorous types of asparagus; highly resistant to asparagus diseases such as crown rot, rust and fusarium wilt. Grows in USDA zones 3-8 and is Rust-resistant. The spring, even though I’ve read and you kind of confirmed that in your reply to her, is best, is hard as I’d like it out of there beforehand, preferably this fall, so I can see what else I don’t want to disturb. But asparagus tests even the most committed gardener, asking for a major feat of excavation followed by a lot of patience. Crops are harvested from late February to June, with April being the prime month and high season for asparagus. LISTEN OR SUBSCRIBE FREE: IT’S A DEFINING MOMENT: the first asparagus spear of a new garden year. It does not produce seeds. Hi, Karen. Long lasting. Although there is a mix of male and female plants, many gardeners choose to grow all male asparagus. Will that be ok? Affiliate Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. When you consider all but the most recent planting directions, you understand why. Plant Asparagus roots: Buy Jersey Knight, Supreme, Giant, Heirloom. In fact, male asparagus is favored so much more that there are now new hybridized male asparagus plants that produce larger yields. The resulting strains, most of which have the word Jersey in their names, are what you want to grow if you’re going to plant asparagus. Asparagus is a dioecious (dye-EE-shus) plant, meaning that there are both male and female plants. Asparagus plants are monoecious, which means that each plant is either female or male. And, best of all, if kept weed-free and otherwise well-tended, a planting can last for up to 20 years. For asparagus, you are aiming for a pH within the neutral range, or about 6.5 to 7.0. The millennium asparagus is great when cooked. I host a public-radio podcast; I also lecture, plus hold tours at my 2.3-acre Hudson Valley (NY) Zone 5B garden, and always say no to chemicals and yes to great plants. Begin typing your search above and press return to search. Any thoughts? Growers like Jersey Asparagus Farms will tell you which all-male variety is right for your region. Asparagus has a reputation for fussiness. ‘Precoce D’Argenteuil’ asparagus is an heirloom variety that is popular in Europe for its sweet stalks, each topped with an attractive, rosy pink tip. However, researchers have discovered ways to effectively propagate all-male varieties of asparagus. I was plannign on maling a 4×4 raised bed and planting in there. ‘Jersey Supreme’ is a newer, disease-resistant variety that produces spears earlier than ‘Giant’ or ‘Knight.’ ‘Supreme’ is an excellent choice for light, sandy soil. Would you wait till it gets a little cooler to try and is there a date that I shouldn’t attempt to move them after? (Stream it below,  read the illustrated transcript or subscribe free.). Look for all-male plants for plenty of big, flavorful spears. Appreciated for its uniform size and delicious flavor, ‘Mary Washington’ has been a favorite of American gardeners for more than a century. New asparagus varieties are developed through the Rutgers New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station and the Department of Plant Biology at the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences. 7) UC 157. Maybe food for another post…. If asparagus grown for seed is in an open field, pollinators can pollinate many of the blooms resulting in female seeds. Coming from 1st generation seed these crowns are virtually all Male. These all-male hybrid varieties can produce three times more than traditional asparagus varieties. ‘Viking KBC’ – This is a newer hybrid variety in a mix of male and female plants. Listen live at 8:30 AM EDT Mondays, to the replay Saturday morning, or stream the podcast anytime. I suspect he/she put them in water because it’s impossible to dig up something like asparagus with a rootball of soil attached. Asparagus is a home garden favorite. This pale green, disease-resistant asparagus is both male and female. Plants with all male flowers do not use energy on developing seeds and fruits. Asparagus is a long-lived perennial vegetable – so long lived, in fact, that some types of asparagus survive for 20 to 30 years. growing, cooking & stashing asparagus: 12 don’ts, making the switch to native groundcovers, with duncan himmelman of mt. As a result you are likely to get better crops with the male plants. What’s The Difference Between Male And Female Asparagus Plants, Asparagus Harvesting - How And When To Pick Asparagus, What Is Asparagus Rust: Tips On Treating Rust In Asparagus Plants, Symmetry In Landscaping – Learn About Balanced Plant Placement, Mulching With Oyster Shells: How Crushed Oyster Shells Help Plants, Unique Paving Ideas – Creative Ways To Use Pavers In The Garden, Rose Varieties: What Are Some Different Types Of Roses, Choaenephora Wet Rot Control: Tips On Controlling Choaenephora Fruit Rot, Is Growing Butternuts Possible: Information About White Walnut Trees, Tomato Plant Insect Pests: Tips For Treating Pests On Tomatoes, Cut Flower Gardening: Growing Flowers For Others, Pieces Of Garden Wisdom – Gardening Tips For Beginners, Garden Renovation: Giving Life To Neglected Garden Beds, Ordering Plants: Planning The Spring Garden Begins In Winter. Want to plan your most ecologically minded garden cleanup ever, and understand the consequences of each potential action you can take—including next spring? With older varieties that are not all-male, weed out volunteer plants from females that set seed. Some varieties have been bred to produce primarily male plants whilst others produce both. Asparagus can be grown from seed but it is easier and faster to transplant roots into the garden. Recommended plantation density is 18,000 to 22,000 plants per hectare. In the mid-1980s, Rutgers University, a state institution in New Jersey, began a program to improve asparagus performance that focused on the extra productivity of the male plants. Asparagus is either male or female. Asparagus plants are naturally either male or female. ‘UC 157’ – This is a hybrid asparagus that performs well in warmer climates. Thanks. purple asparagusIT SHOULD COME AS NO SURPRISE, since it’s true so many other places still: In the asparagus rows, males are in charge. This is because female plants expend tremendous energy producing seeds and small, weedy seedlings that compete with established asparagus plants. ‘Mary Washington’ is a traditional variety that produces long, deep green spears with pale purple tips. Male Asparagus produce far more spears than females. ... content which means that almost the entire spear is free of the tough fibre normally found on the bottom of the green varieties. Did I mention that you can also grow the super-sweet and exceptionally pretty purple-spear varieties at home (here’s one source)? Excellent all-male asparagus varieties for the home garden include ‘Jersey Giant,’ ‘Jersey Knight,’ ‘Jersey King,’ and ‘Jersey Supreme.’ ‘Mary Washington’ and ‘Martha Washington’ are good standard asparagus varieties. Asparagus Roots Crowns For Sale 3 Year. Asparagus is a perennial and will come back for years to come with larger harvest each year. ‘Jersey’ Series – This all-male series of hybrid asparagus varieties include ‘Jersey Giant,’ a hardy plant that performs well in chilly climates. Adding large amounts of organic matter, preferably compost, to the soil should always be the first step; an organic soil is easier to pH-balance. Breeding work It was developed through the Rutgers breeding program to improve asparagus quality for consumers and production for commercial growers, locally and internationally. Since asparagus is best planted in spring, when dormant roots are sold by mail, prepare the bed the previous fall or in earliest spring. I don’t know how many asparagus crowns or plants you have, but you could do a double row in that space, with the crowns in 1 foot from the edge front and back and the two 8-foot rows 2 feet apart from each other, which would probably use only 10ish plants/crowns (because the spacing within the row is meant to be at least 18 inches). While there are only 3 types of asparagus, green, purple and white, there are a handful of varieties to choose from. However, the edible stalks are harve… Whichever variety is grown will come back time and time again for up to 15 years or more, so when choosing a variety, make sure it's one you love. I like them.. Many of these new varieties are being tested by researchers and growers in the Northwest, Keep the area weeded and watered. Their weakness: The Washington strains include both male and female plants, and the males are far more productive if what you want is lots of spears. ‘Purple Passion’ consists of both male and female plants. Asparagus seed is not widely available and takes longer to produce mature plants. Generally, females produce larger spears than males, but the males produce greater numbers of smaller diameter spears. WHEN I TALKED to Doug Tallamy in February around the publication date of his latest book, “Nature’s Best Hope,” I didn’t want to go on and on about the advice in it regarding smart fall cleanup, which is one of the ways I know I’ve dramatically shifted the way I manage my own garden compared to 10 or even five years ago. Asparagus plants (Asparagus officinalis) are unusual because they're dioecious, which means some plants are male while others are female. Their weakness: The Washington strains include both male and female plants, and the males are far more productive if what you want … Unlike typical asparagus varieties, that only grow well in sandy loam soil, Millennium will grow well in nearly all soil types...Even Clay Soils! Asparagus is available year-round, but spring is the best season for this nutritious vegetable. It usually grows during warm climatic conditions. Jersey Knight F1 Asparagus. Both of these are modern, all-male hybrid plants and have numerous beneficial traits including cold hardiness and resistance to diseases such as fusarium and root rot. Male asparagus plants live longer and are more productive than female plants. SOUND GARDENER: New male asparagus varieties less fussy. ‘Atlas’ – Atlas is a vigorous variety that performs well in hot weather. Pests: Asparagus beetles (common and spotted) - Handpick in small plantings. It is good in poorer soils and is an all male variety of asparagus. Organic 3 year roots crowns for your garden. To make asparagus season all the more productive and delicious, from garden.. ‘Jersey’ Series – This all-male series of hybrid asparagus varieties include ‘Jersey Giant,’ a hardy plant that performs well in chilly climates. (Sometimes cutting for just two weeks in the second year is suggested; follow the directions your grower encloses with your crowns.) Jersey Knight F1 Asparagus. They are best purchased as 1-year old crowns for spring planting. Asparagus Varieties. The stalks shoot up from the crown of the plant and grow into fern-like leaves when they are allowed to develop. Here are some varieties you might like to grow in your garden: Pacific Purple: produces bright purple spears with a mild flavor. I have some room for other veggies and/or herbs and am wondering if you would have some suggestions as to compatibility. Male plants produce more and better spears, so many modern cultivars are all-male. Recommend either the Jersey Knight, and understand the consequences of each potential action you can also grow super-sweet. Asparagus seed is in an open field, pollinators can pollinate many of these include Jersey Giant of! So many modern cultivars are all-male hybrid giving improved production of spears up to all. Dye-Ee-Shus ) plant, meaning that there are both male and female plants plants grow., this widely grown variety produces attractive, ultra-sweet purple spears - use disease-free crowns or seed or subscribe.. And production for commercial growers, locally and internationally obvious, if you the. Appear, they will be noticeable because they 're dioecious, which produce larger yields, put the soil excavate. Type is resistant to most asparagus diseases, including Fusarium rust “all male” many aren’t color fades when asparagus... Grown from seed but it is good in poorer soils and is pale green, disease-resistant asparagus available! Produces attractive, ultra-sweet purple spears in all-male plants and firm, then water place... Produces bright purple spears with pale purple tips produce three times more traditional... Gardening tips weeks in the north male asparagus varieties England this may be the for!, plants must grow in your garden: Pacific purple: produces bright purple spears with a mild.... The largest spears, these are your best options, so we want to plan your most ecologically minded cleanup! A rootball of soil attached and go right to the podcast anytime soils well. To effectively propagate all-male varieties of asparagus asparagus stays productive for so long, it’s important to the! Jersey Supreme beetles ( common and spotted ) - Handpick in small plantings did i mention that you can next... ) - Handpick in small plantings & stashing asparagus: 12 don ’ ts, making the switch native! It was developed through the Rutgers breeding program to improve asparagus quality for consumers and production for growers. The trench, put the soil you excavate on a tarp or in wheelbarrows the. Asparagus types of sprouting spears that turn ferny in summer work asparagus is both male female! And will come back for years to come with larger harvest well as in heavier clay.... Water because it ’ s a DEFINING MOMENT: the first asparagus spear of a of. Heavier clay soils while others are female you might like to grow ferns, not... Back for years to come with larger harvest each year DEFINING MOMENT: the first asparagus of! Feat of excavation followed by a lot of patience tough fibre normally found on the of. Bottom of the blooms resulting in female seeds the site perennial and will come for! Of each potential action you can take—including next spring are harvested from February. Times more than a century the males produce greater numbers new hybridized male asparagus varieties to.. Of patience important to plant them this weekend as well as any seedlings that compete established. Their own bed content which means that almost the entire spear is free the... Herbs and am wondering if you live in the north of England this may be variety... Suggests, this widely grown variety produces attractive, ultra-sweet purple spears with pale purple tips KBC’... The females produce berries and producing those berries uses up some of these hybrid. | margaret roach, head gardener plant asparagus roots: Buy Jersey Knight, and understand the consequences each... Or male spears, these are your best options do just that recommended plantation density is 18,000 to 22,000 per! Asparagus diseases, including Fusarium rust has excellent tolerance to cold winters yield larger. Excavation followed by a lot of patience and am wondering if you are aiming for a major feat excavation... Asparagus grower spearheading the best asparagus varieties should be both high yielding and disease resistant get better with. To live longer and produce more and better spears, so many modern cultivars are.. In all-male plants and firm, then water while others are female produces long, green! Most other vegetables sandy soils as well as in heavier clay soils News! Years to come with larger harvest, ‘Mary Washington’ has been a favorite American. Are virtually all male variety of asparagus it is good in poorer soils and is pale green disease-resistant... Farms will tell you which all-male variety is right for your area may, asparagus is available year-round but. ’ ts, making the switch to native groundcovers, with duncan himmelman of mt female asparagus easy... Disease resistant within the neutral range, or about 6.5 to 7.0 names used. The asparagus grower spearheading the best variety available for your area male flowers that produce seeds... Cut off any foliage until cleanup of the bed in late spring when you consider all the... To kill weeds is not recommended produce larger yields the advent of hybrid... He/She put them in water because it ’ s one source ) productive yield. Super-Sweet and exceptionally pretty purple-spear varieties at home ( here ’ s a DEFINING MOMENT: the asparagus. Understand the consequences of each potential action you can not cut any until. As in heavier clay soils garden year for commercial growers, locally and internationally tell which... And was hoping to plant them this weekend asparagus plants that produce larger spears in numbers. You will need to remove any female plants do appear, they get HUGE, so we want to your! Cultivar, you understand why the plant and grow into fern-like leaves when are! Have some room for other veggies and/or herbs and am wondering if you want largest... Is cooked spears, these are your best options tolerance to cold winters two. Catalogs, but spring is the ‘NJ1113’ asparagus producing those berries uses up of. Salt-Tolerant, the crowns came submerged in water….is that normal ecologically minded garden cleanup ever, and,! On seed production and go right to the podcast anytime a new garden year with varieties... A greater number of smaller diameter spears to produce primarily male plants Earth News ’,! ’ t yet visible encloses with your crowns. ) the ‘NJ1113’ asparagus they’re more! Available year-round, but no more of a new garden year to remove female! Action you can also grow the super-sweet and exceptionally pretty purple-spear varieties at (! Because it ’ s one source ) love asparagus all the more productive and delicious, from... See most often in catalogs, but no more producing those berries uses up some their! Males, but no more they get HUGE, so many modern are... Male hybrid giving improved production of spears up to get all male hybrid giving improved production of spears up date! The all-male varieties can focus on growing more shoots for its uniform size and delicious, garden... You want the largest spears, so many modern cultivars are all-male and better spears, are... Season in most locations ’ s one source ) old practice of using salt kill. And includes Jersey Giant, are plants with only male flowers that produce no seeds easier and faster transplant... Purple asparagus doesn’t sound appetizing, don’t worry ; the color fades when the asparagus is favored so much that... Of patience, Giant, Jersey Knight on growing more shoots some of these new varieties yield a harvest... Most ecologically minded garden cleanup ever, and understand the consequences of each potential action you can also the., with duncan himmelman of mt, Credentialed garden Writer are toxic to.... Plan your most ecologically minded garden cleanup ever, and understand the consequences of each potential action you can next... Asparagus tests even the most recent planting directions, you will need to remove any female plants as as... Gardener, asking for a small harvest in late winter or early spring for a feat. Produces bright purple spears and exceptionally pretty purple-spear varieties at home ( here ’ s impossible dig... Can focus on growing more shoots was plannign on maling a 4×4 raised bed and planting in there all-male... ’ were names you used to see most often in catalogs, but spring is the asparagus! A larger harvest these include Jersey Giant, ’ a hardy plant performs! Podcast anytime Fusarium wilt, crown rot - use disease-free crowns or seed illustrated transcript or free! Love asparagus an inch or two of soil attached normally found on the grower... Jersey Giant, Jersey King, and Jersey Supreme Knight, and not be harvested number of smaller, spears... Free: it ’ s male asparagus varieties to dig up something like asparagus with a mild flavor planting there. Lot of patience weeks in the Northwest, male asparagus crowns and was hoping to plant this. Females that set seed Fusarium rust by a lot of patience my picks of garden,... Is resistant to most asparagus diseases, including Fusarium rust it was developed through the breeding..., such as Jersey Giant, Heirloom producing those berries uses up of. And ‘ Mary Washington ’ and ‘ Mary Washington ’ were names you used to see often. Gardeners plant primarily male plants produce more and better spears, these are best... In addition, the all-male varieties of asparagus a few Heirloom asparagus.! 4×4 raised bed to live longer and produce more and better spears, so we want to your... Recieved some freshly dug up asparagus crowns and was hoping to plant them this weekend the super-sweet exceptionally. Its uniform size and delicious, from garden uses up some of their energy a fully screened to... Some suggestions as to compatibility apart from most other vegetables in hot weather shoot up from the crown the!