Perennial Veg Advice

[BilboWaggins]

Am thinking about the perennial veg I want to establish How many Aspargus crowns would I need for two people?



Thanks

[Flummery]

We had 10 asparagus crown at our old allotment - and never too much! It depends on how much you like it and whether you are into freezing soups.

Never grown globe artis so I don't know what the yield is.

I have 2 rhubarb crowns and they produce way more than we can eat (unless we have pudding every day which we don't!) Nice to be able to share it though.

Have you thought about Nine Star Perennial Broccoli? (Never grown that either but it comes into the category!)

[Hazel at the Hill]

Not sure on the globe artichokes (and/or cardoon?) or asparagus, but I would have 2 or possibly 3 rhubarb crowns - it freezes brilliantly, you can make good chutney with it, and of course, rhubarb wine.

[Hazel at the Hill]

Off to investigate Nine Star Perennial Broccoli, Himself loves Broccoli, it's the one veg I can be sure he'll eat .

I think that Snadger's grown this, but can't remember his verdict.

[Snadger]

I think that Snadger's grown this, but can't remember his verdict.

Yes I have, and to good effect. Nine star needs a huge ammount of room though, maybe 4 foot diameter? This is my second year and I've had a good crop. I have 'pruned' it right back this year (chooks love it) so hope I haven't killed it! I't only a short lived perenniel anyway and I would think four years is all you would get from it.
I'm also growing Cardoon which needs a similar amount of space. This is its second year and I haven't cropped it yet!

[T-lady]

We're just exploring options for a second asparagus bed as ours with 10 crowns in it didn't yield anything like the absolute orgy of asparagus we'd like (there's two of us as well). Nto sure about squeezing extra crowns into a space. I'm sure I read soemthing recently about an asparagus's roots running for more than 30 ft - they need space!

Looks like I'll be getting 1 big and half a dozen small globe fartichokes off each plant but don't do what I did and pinch them for space (I planted at 2 1/2 ft instead of 3 ft). I think they'd be happier with an even bigger bit of space.

[Hazel at the Hill]

Am risking trying to run before I have perfected the art of putting one foot slowly in front of the other ....

You? Really?

[BilboWaggins]

We're just exploring options for a second asparagus bed as ours with 10 crowns in it didn't yield anything like the absolute orgy of asparagus we'd like (there's two of us as well). Nto sure about squeezing extra crowns into a space. I'm sure I read something recently about an asparagus's roots running for more than 30 ft - they need space!

Thanks T-lady, I have a bed 8' long, 4' wide for the Asparagus.

Victoriana website reckons 9" apart in rows 18" apart so in theory I could have two rows, each with 10 plants squeezed in, that seems a bit cramped but I've never grown it before. Would I get better yields if I halved the number per row and just have two rows with five in each?

[Hazel at the Hill]

Thanks T-lady, I have a bed 8' long, 4' wide for the Asparagus.

Victoriana website reckons 9" apart in rows 18" apart so in theory I could have two rows, each with 10 plants squeezed in, that seems a bit cramped but I've never grown it before. Would I get better yields if I halved the number per row and just have two rows with five in each?

Remember growing in beds you are not restricted to rows in quite the same way as in the 'traditional' plot. You can plant equidistant (9+18)/2 apart - which gives (say) 3 plants by 6 plants = 18 in each bed, and I don't think that would be overly squashed in.

[Hazel at the Hill]

Oh excellent (she says greedily thinking of all the Asparagus potential in 2011 or 2012)

I think tomorrow morning will be a "publish and be damned" moment with the credit card. Might as well get these babies ordered and in the ground as soon as possible.

Goodness - I'm in danger of being taken seriously! Although I think that I am right, and that's how I would plant the bed up, do let the other grapes chew this one over and chip in before you get the plastic out!

[Flummery]

You CAN (slightly) ignore planting distances with a bed and path system. I always plant a little closer than recommended because the roots can access the soil under the path areas too. That's my excuse!

[WeeGarden]

Oh my gosh... I've planted 3 asparagus crowns for the two of us. From the replies here, it looks as though we'd have two spears each every summer...