Green or white or purple asparagus...that is the question...

[Nicos]

Sorry- I'm in Shakespeare mode after yesterday's announcement about Richard III !


I want to grow asparagus again.
Back in the UK we had about 30 plants- 2 varieties of green and one of red.

Thing is- over here they seem only to sell white.
I'm happy to buy the plants in the UK when we pop over later in the Spring- but I'm really not sure about which variety to go for.
One of the green ones we had produced enormously thick spears- and were often bitter and fibrous. Needless to say, I want to avoid bitter!..eew.

Can peeps please recommend which variety is sweet and tender?
I don't need fat ones- just sweet and tender.

The soil in the UK ( if that has a bearing??) was peat,damp and acidic- here it's sandy and dry ( although I can find the base of a slope which is quite damp about 1ft down during the hot summers)

What varieties can you peeps recommend please???? ( preferably one you have eaten??)

[VirginVegGrower]

Purple is lovely, although I don't grow that one. I grow Worsit's colossal which is green. They have plants in the garden centres and Wilkos at the moment - do you want me to go shopping on your behalf?

[VirginVegGrower]

Asparagus to shout about - Telegraph

http://www.hargreavesplants.com/asparagus.asp

Are you coming over to see Richard III? I hadn't realised that he was near one of my favourite tea rooms in Leicester. I'd have curtsied if I'd known

[Nicos]

Purple is lovely, although I don't grow that one. I grow Worsit's colossal which is green. They have plants in the garden centres and Wilkos at the moment - do you want me to go shopping on your behalf?

Aww- that's kind- but no date set yet....plus...I want to work out which varieties I want!
xx

[Glutton4...]

White is blanched, Nickers, if I'm not mistaken. Can't see the point, personally, as it's delicious as it is. But I haven't tried it, so shouldn't knock it!

When it gets older it gets thick and fibrous or woody, when it's young the spears are narrower and more tender.

Blimey, I sound like an expert! Haha! I'm not. My Dad planted a load, around ten years ago, and it is now in need of replacement. No idea what variety, but he planted it in a deep bed of quite sandy soil, and did very little to it, save harvest it. When we were there, we watered it, weeded it, cut off the ferns and fertilised it well. Didn't get to eat much of it though.