Wish my seeds luck & in 3 years I should be able to harvest my first set of spears.
Also want to add I found this great info on growing asparagus in hot climates.
You know how they say you can’t grow asparagus in hot climates? Well, don’t believe it. I live in Zone 9 in Texas, about 10 miles inland in the Galveston area. My husband and I have been growing asparagus in our gardens since 1980. Of course, you do have to make a few modifications to adapt to the heat and soil.
1) Pick the right variety. Texas A&M found hybrids produce better in the heat. Mary Washington and Jersey Giant have done great for me. Purple Passion has also worked well here.
2) Pick the right location for your beds. An area with northern exposure is good, to take advantage of the ‘northers’ when they blow through. Eastern side is good too. Even better, make sure there is at least a little protection from the late afternoon sun – your production won’t drop off as much after 5-6 years if the plants don’t get regularly cooked in the afternoon sun in summer. Mulch is your friend, put it on top of the manure and add more if it gets thin after you stop harvesting. I’ve located my beds both on the north side of the house and on the north side of my property next to a wooden privacy fence. Both have worked well.
3) Prepare the beds carefully. Raised beds only – I can’t say this enough – with good garden soil/rose soil placed on top of the UNDISTURBED soil already there. (I have clay/caliche soil that turns to concrete when it dries out-don’t even try to amend it since it’s a waste of time and money.) Prepare a year ahead if you can, and kill off weeds as they continue to sprout. ESPECIALLY make sure you take time to get rid of nutsedge (or nutgrass, as it is sometimes called) before planting. It can make your life miserable if you don’t, since Roundup only kills off the tops and it keeps coming back.
4) Cut back the ferns in late Dec/early Jan, even if they are still green. You won’t have a frost to kill them back and force dormancy. So do it manually before the (somewhat) cold weather hits in Jan/Feb. If you’re lucky, you may even get a light freeze every 2 or 3 years to help! Cut back the stalks to about 1/2″ to 1″ below the soil line or they could introduce rot to the root in this climate.
5) Invest and buy good quality composted cow manure to top every year. The cheap stuff usually has weed seeds. I ended up with carolina horsenettle sprouting one year, and finally had to kill off the entire bed to get rid of it after it spread to half my garden. Nasty, nasty stuff.
1) Pick the right variety. Texas A&M found hybrids produce better in the heat. Mary Washington and Jersey Giant have done great for me. Purple Passion has also worked well here.
2) Pick the right location for your beds. An area with northern exposure is good, to take advantage of the ‘northers’ when they blow through. Eastern side is good too. Even better, make sure there is at least a little protection from the late afternoon sun – your production won’t drop off as much after 5-6 years if the plants don’t get regularly cooked in the afternoon sun in summer. Mulch is your friend, put it on top of the manure and add more if it gets thin after you stop harvesting. I’ve located my beds both on the north side of the house and on the north side of my property next to a wooden privacy fence. Both have worked well.
3) Prepare the beds carefully. Raised beds only – I can’t say this enough – with good garden soil/rose soil placed on top of the UNDISTURBED soil already there. (I have clay/caliche soil that turns to concrete when it dries out-don’t even try to amend it since it’s a waste of time and money.) Prepare a year ahead if you can, and kill off weeds as they continue to sprout. ESPECIALLY make sure you take time to get rid of nutsedge (or nutgrass, as it is sometimes called) before planting. It can make your life miserable if you don’t, since Roundup only kills off the tops and it keeps coming back.
4) Cut back the ferns in late Dec/early Jan, even if they are still green. You won’t have a frost to kill them back and force dormancy. So do it manually before the (somewhat) cold weather hits in Jan/Feb. If you’re lucky, you may even get a light freeze every 2 or 3 years to help! Cut back the stalks to about 1/2″ to 1″ below the soil line or they could introduce rot to the root in this climate.
5) Invest and buy good quality composted cow manure to top every year. The cheap stuff usually has weed seeds. I ended up with carolina horsenettle sprouting one year, and finally had to kill off the entire bed to get rid of it after it spread to half my garden. Nasty, nasty stuff.
With these differences, I have had tremendous success with my asparagus, and usually end up freezing and giving away quite a bit every year from a single 3′x24′ bed with 11-year-old crowns.
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