General video · Level B2 - Part 2

How to Grow a Ton of Asparagus

Good day! I'm Mark from Self Sufficient Me and in this video, I want to show you how I grow this amazing vegetable called asparagus.

Level: B2 · 115 sentences

Transcript

  1. Good day! I'm Mark from Self Sufficient Me
  2. and in this video, I want to show you how I grow this amazing vegetable called asparagus.
  3. And give you my five top tips on how to grow a ton of it
  4. in a raised bed garden just like this one.
  5. Now I know what you're thinking.
  6. This doesn't look like a ton of asparagus.
  7. Well, it is.
  8. I'm just letting it grow out.
  9. And plus, we've been eating heaps of it,
  10. sautéed, barbecued, grilled, you name it.
  11. Even fresh like this.
  12. Eat it like no one's watching.
  13. Mmm, oh, you can't get better than that.
  14. Seriously though, there's no wonder asparagus is one of the world's most famous vegetables.
  15. And it's not because when we eat it, our pee smells like teenage boys' socks.
  16. Moreover, asparagus contains a mega range of important vitamins and minerals,
  17. making it one of the most health-rich foods you can possibly grow.
  18. We love to eat a lot of asparagus, and that's why we grow a ton of it.
  19. So let's just get into it.
  20. Tip Number One: Planting
  21. There are lots of varieties of asparagus on the market, especially these days.
  22. But don't agonize too much over which one to choose because most are good.
  23. Why not grow several types?
  24. We're growing two varieties:
  25. an Australian Purple Tip
  26. and the old favorite Mary Washington, bred by the USA Department of Agriculture in 1919.
  27. And still, to this day, touted a strong performer and good all-round variety to grow.
  28. Asparagus is a perennial, meaning it dies back each winter and then regrows in spring.
  29. But unlike many other perennial plants that only live a few seasons,
  30. asparagus can live for 20-plus years.
  31. This is awesome because you can simply set aside a part of the garden
  32. or half a raised bed garden like I have here with ginger on the other side.
  33. have a look at my "How to Grow a Ton of Ginger" video, by the way.
  34. And then you can just leave it for a couple of decades,
  35. and you'll have asparagus spears for years.
  36. Cheers!
  37. You can try sowing asparagus seed directly into the bed.
  38. But I reckon it grows best sown in containers and nurtured in a protected area.
  39. And then planted out once a root system is established.
  40. However, my recommended way of growing
  41. is to buy the one- or two-year established crowns and plant them.
  42. Because the success rate is better, and the time to maturity is faster.
  43. There are two methods of planting asparagus crowns:
  44. the "bunging in the ground" method
  45. and the "trenching" method.
  46. "Bunging it in the ground" is how it sounds.
  47. Dig a hole like a regular plant and just bung it in.
  48. You might use this method to fill a gap in your asparagus bed, for example.
  49. The method most people use, and I recommend, is the trench method.
  50. Where a trench is dug with a mound of soil / compost in the middle.
  51. And the crab-like asparagus crown roots are placed about 30 centimeters (or even less) apart,
  52. so they straddle either side.
  53. Then backfill so the tops are about an inch or so under.
  54. You may lose the odd plant during transplanting,
  55. but don't worry about it too much.
  56. Just fill in the gaps next season if you want.
  57. Tip Number Two: Patience
  58. Asparagus takes several years to become established and strong enough
  59. so that it can be harvested regularly.
  60. Depending on how old the plant was at the time it was planted,
  61. it could take two to four years before it's safe to cut your asparagus and get a good feed.
  62. Yes, you can try a little sample here and there.
  63. But you should let it grow as an ornamental
  64. and enjoy this delicate fern in the garden for a few years before using it as a regular kitchen vegetable.
  65. It really is a beautiful plant, as you can see.
  66. So be patient and let it grow and strengthen before you get stuck into it.
  67. Tip Number Three: Harvesting
  68. Once your plants have reached maturity, you'll find that they'll start producing nice thick spears.
  69. Baro size or pencil size is fine,
  70. but the best size is around the size of your pinky.
  71. Try to cut the asparagus spear around eight inches,
  72. or at least before the fern starts opening,
  73. otherwise, it becomes too woody to fully enjoy.
  74. Asparagus grows fast and will literally pop out of the soil overnight.
  75. So keep an eye on it and harvest regularly to promote more spears.
  76. Tip Number Four: Growing Out
  77. After you have enjoyed several months of your own organic, homegrown, nutrient-rich asparagus,
  78. let it develop and grow out.
  79. Why?
  80. Because it looks awesome.
  81. But the main reason why it's good to let it grow out,
  82. usually through summer towards the end of the season,
  83. is so that it can keep strong and healthy.
  84. As winter approaches, the ferns will die off,
  85. and the energy will be transferred to the crown and massive root system,
  86. which can go as far deep down as a meter.
  87. This stored energy in the crown and the root system
  88. will give it a great kickstart in the new season.
  89. Tip Number Five: Mulching and Feeding
  90. When you see asparagus being farmed commercially,
  91. you won't find a lot of mulch like this.
  92. Typically, in the soil, it'll be in mounds.
  93. And that's because it's easier to harvest through the bare soil, where the asparagus spears come up.
  94. And they just cut them off, and walk along, and put them into crates.
  95. But also, asparagus farms are located in areas that are typically temperate climates.
  96. They're a moderate and good climate for asparagus growing.
  97. But if you're like me and grow asparagus in a hot climate,
  98. or perhaps the other extreme: a very cold climate,
  99. then I encourage you to mulch the plants well.
  100. With mulch, you might get the odd bendy or crooked asparagus spear as it pushes its way up through.
  101. But don't let that be a concern.
  102. Because a good mulch, two or three inches thick, helps more than it hinders
  103. by locking in moisture, nutrients,
  104. and protects the crown from extreme temps like cold or heat.
  105. It keeps the weeds down too.
  106. I like to recycle the dead asparagus ferns as mulch.
  107. But I also use sugar cane or nitrogen-rich lucerne to mulch the bed.
  108. As far as feeding goes, top-dress the bed just before the growing season with compost and poultry manure
  109. to give the plants a nitrogen hit and a nice, rich soil to thrive in.
  110. Organic blood and bone or chicken pellet manure from the store also work very well to grow good crops of asparagus.
  111. There you have it. Those were my five top tips on how to grow a ton of asparagus
  112. in a raised garden bed just like this one.
  113. And if you follow my tips on planting, patience, harvesting,
  114. growing out, and mulching and fertilizing,
  115. then there's no reason why you can't grow a ton of asparagus just like I can.