Asparagus - no dig, planted in mulch over weeds, how to grow and harvest
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- Опубліковано 23 сер 2018
- Filmed in summer of asparagus year 6 after a third season of harvests, this year 2018 we picked 15.5kg/34lb of spears. The asparagus plants are growing on level ground with no ridges, easier for weeding because very few grow.
We are a zone 8, temperate climate with around 800mm/32in rain per annum. My garden includes 1000sqm of no dig beds (a quarter acre), growing salad leaves and some vegetables for sale.
More on no dig at www.charlesdowding.co.uk. Buy any of my books for more information such as this one charlesdowding.co.uk/product-...
I have two online courses which include hundreds of photos and exclusive video content, for more information go to charlesdowding.co.uk/product-...
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This video was filmed and edited by Edward Dowding edowding.net - Навчання та стиль
Well I got all enthusiastic about building and dedicating a frame and compost to asparagus. I’m only one person so figured 14 crowns would be enough. So I ordered 14 online and 14 were mailed to me. That is 14 packets of seed! 😂 😂😂😂
Ahh yes I have made that mistake too...sometimes when ordering a large variety of seeds I simply forget to read the details....but I usually plant all I can and then give the rest away so its a gain for all
😮
I’ve just ordered 35 crowns of 4 years old. That should do, lol.
I watch all your videos
I've learned so much from you. I would enjoy your books as well. And , you are such a pleasant " Chap " .one can tell that you thourghly love what you do !! Thank you so much.
Thanks Rocky and I'm glad to help.
Working my way through your asparagus videos. I'm blessed at 62 to finally have a place for a garden. And planning a space for asparagus. So grateful for your videos
That is awesome!
And now I’m sad because I have no more new videos to watch...
Oh well...guess I have to start over! 😊
If you have two paches of Asparagus one you can start harvesting in spring the other just let it grow untill mid june and then cut the ferns down and you get a secound harvest into August
Wow, I didn't know that. Now I'm planning a second patch! Thanks!
Today’s date is July 21st USA pa zone 5. I can cut the ferns and get a second harvest?
Thank you. You make everything so easy to understand Charles.
Oh good thanks, it's my aim 😀
Thank you Charles for your advice on asparagus planting when we met at Rudolf Steiner school in Kings Langley. You said “no gravel”, mulch only. I did! And I have amazing plants NOT in a trench just planted 3-4” under the surface. Apart from asparagus beetle prevalent here, they are doing well. I just squish them and their grub. My advice is the same for anyone with this pest because using permethrin is natural but will kill bees too. Yours gratefully, Salvatore.
Well done Salvatore and happy to hear your mulch result, no gravel!
We planted our crowns in 2015 and harvest this year. We are US zone 4. My they were good. The purple ones are so thick but so tender. They were just dripping with liquid when we harvested! We are going to plant more. The weeds can be a problem in the patch. I get lots of seeds. I think I will plant them.. doesn’t hurt to try. Your videos really help gardeners. Thanks so much!
A wonderful result Janette and nice to hear.
I love my trusty scythe! One of my favorite hand tools for the garden.
Thanks for your time and knowledge, Always a pleasure to watch you videos..
Hi Charles,
Every time I watch your videos I learn something new.
Thank you.
Regards from Australia
Thanks, and I'm glad to hear that!
Fantastic video. I love Asparagus and will have to try growing it myself.
Following your videos and the understanding of o dig, brought your books also great read. Thank you always look forward to next video kind regards
Kevan
Thank you so much for this video. We are planning to put in an asparagus bed this spring and this will be our guide. I have been admiring your asparagus beds in the videos and I'm thrilled to get a closer look. Great information!
Nice to hear and best of luck with your new bed Kathleen
Thank you for sharing. Love your videos. I’ve been wanting to go to no dig for some time, but needed to see someone who was doing it on a scale similar to mine with success. You have answered many of my questions and shown that it can be done. Thank you!
Great to hear this Jackson and I wish you success
Hands up here who also never presses 'skip ad' on charles's videos !!!!
Thanks Gary, presume this is a compliment!
Funnily enough my view numbers are increasing and my income (from ad clicks) is decreasing!
That is just an observation, I am happy that people are viewing.
A compliment of course. Too many people skipping ads presumably Charles. Keep the vids coming 💚💚
Well you learn something new every day,I'll watch the ads to help Charles he's a great teacher
You always bring good information. Thanks.
Another great video! Asparagus ferns are so beautiful! The only thing taller are my sunflowers!
This spring I sowed green asparagus after watching this video! They are doing well. Thank you for showing me how easy asparagus are!
Great to hear!
Such a BEAUTIFUL plant
I always love watching your videos. Even though we are in a different zone. I am working towards a no dig. I don't pull out roots anymore. Chop and drop. Thank sir
Good to hear Cheryl
I remember my nan having one asparagus plant. I don't think she had a great deal of success with it. So i didn't think i would ever attempt it. 10 minutes after watching this video the first time i was ordering seeds! Now two weeks after sowing or thereabouts i have a tray full of mini asparagus spears!
Absolutely love your channel. Thanks for sharing your knowledge.
Thanks for sharing, so nice to see!
Going to start my Asparagus seeds this weekend. Spring is almost upon us.
Asparagus! You read my mind! I have some new crowns to plant.
Another lovely video...I just planted asparagus from the 2nd year and they grew so tall they were falling over...now I have a nice idea on what to do with this lovely video...I did sneak 1 or 2 Spears and they had amazing flavor! Keep the videos coming your garden are amazing.
Thanks Christine, well done!
Lovely. I have planted one row this spring and will now, after watching your video, put some stakes in and wire to hold the ferns up. I like the image of you crawling through the ferns hunting for renegade weed seeds. You remind me of my father!
With a deerstalker on and a large magnifying glass?
it look so easy when you explain it! Thank you I will try this
Thank you. Beautiful garden!
I start several trays of asparagus every year. I've started them as early as February, under a light, or in the early Spring in the greenhouse. I've also started them in August...I just plop them in the rows to replace the ones that got taken out by gophers and such. And nothing makes a person more grateful than just giving them a tray of bushy asparagus plants.
That is lovely Jay
Great stuff... I was planning to grow asparagus in front of the greenhouse, I won't be doing that now I've seen how tall the ferns grow. Great info as always Charles, thank you
Lol I have asparagus seeds to try too thanks it was next in line after corn lol weird how that works out
I've seen many of your videos but I guess I missed some... I will let this play list play while I work so I can listen thanks so much
Charles makes you want to be a better person...
Cheers Paul and I would include myself in that!
At 73, I know longer buy green bananas...........
Paul D Yes.
Paul D I'm mesmerized by his mimic and his manners... it looks like he comes from another planet, a planet of love and beauty. I’m almost a better person 😃😃😃😃
@@stuartwest8836 ?
I saw you wear Pai blue cotton shirt. It might be from Thailand. I missed Thailand that I did not go back to because of Covid-19. Retired and enjoy watching your UA-cam Video and Thank you for your heroic action and share. I grew Asparagus many years ago there are two crowns now but I like to improve it by watching your video.
Oh wow, and yes from Pai in Thailand.
It is sad to feel that one might never go back to places, how life has changed, and good luck with your asparagus!
love all of your videos, so informative and pleasant and your enthusiasm for your craft makes it all the better. i have been harvesting wild asparagus on my reservation for many years now and i have noticed that each year the harvest grows and grows. im actually thinking of digging up a few crowns to transplant to my home garden this coming year. hope to be where you are some day. thank you
That is impressive Daniel and what a good plan.
Some wild asparagus pots up off roadsides near me, but county sprays roadside to kill weeds, so I'm afraid to eat it. It always comes back.
I’ve had my patch for five years. In Australia, our asparagus season is quite long. I’ve just started to harvest again at winter’s end. I’ll pick all through spring and summer, even part way through autumn. Once I notice the spears coming up a lot thinner, I let them come all the way up as ferns, allowing them to gather energy from the green fronds down to the crowns for next season. At winters end, I chop them back to ground and cover with a nice rich mulch. Within days the new thicker spears start coming.
Tanya I am impressed!! I wonder... 😀
I bought some seeds and will put some in. Another great video Charles...ta :)
thanks Mary
Thank you!
Looks yummy Charles ! Wish my garden was a lot bigger than it is! Great video!👍
Ah shame, they do need space it's true
I feel like Bob is my uncle now- thanks.
Neat!!
Use a foot or more of grass clippings for mulch and harvest white asparagus.
Longer season.
Much better eats.
Sounds good!
My asparagus is about to grow it’s third year, grown from plants, hopefully I’ll get some 😁
I hope so Carol Ann
Thank you
Great advice
I'll be setting up my no dig garden this year for planting next year... I have a TON of weeds to get rid of with black mulch plastic. Asparagus is definitely on my list but I'm struggling to figure out were to grow because they will be pretty permanent where ever I decide to put them. Thank you for this video as I'm keenly interested in growing asparagus with the no dig method.
Weed vigour will be much reduced if you cover with plastic now and I would transplant asparagus next spring so that's almost a year of weed reduction through darkness.
There should be very few weeds left. And next spring - summer you need to do some work with a trowel such as we are doing now with bindweed
Nice job !
You wore top that say in Thai word. 😊😊😊 , thank you for a great video, I love to watch your videos.... take care and healthy.... from Thailand. 😄
Ah lovely thanks 🥕
What does it say?
Great Video!
Lovely video thanks for your time a and knowledge I harvested white asparagus in France many moons ago with a Gouge ( spear) from ridges your snap and go is a lot cleaner.
That is interesting. We lived in France for a while and the locals could not believe that asparagus can be green!
@@CharlesDowding1nodig Super nice in the south of France they eat green however north west and east it's mostly white that I saw anyway
cracking video
Good day Mr downin
Wow. Video was right on time for me. I was thinking of planting asparagus seeds my sister gave me. Great information! Thank you!
Great. Sow the seeds in spring.
I LOVE butter cups
Haha what can I say?! 😀
Très interessant, merci Charles.
I truly love your Videos, Thankyou!!!!!!!!!!!
I'm so glad 🌱
Lovely video
Thanks Denise
EASY GARDENING.👍🏻😃🙏🏻😎🏆👊🏻🥰💞☀️ LOVE THIS
I've been growing asparagus for 40 years and have always cut at ground level and trimmed up after. I will be using your method from now on.
Nice to hear Chris
Asparagus is one of the easiest crops to grow. And they get bigger every year. I'm on my 3rd year. They can last up to 30-40years I heard.
Longer than that, in our wetland where asparagus farms were dominant before a big flood about 80 years ago, you can still find patches of it out in the delta, it's crazy.
I’ve sown. Green asparagus two years ago and purple last year
I had asparagusbeetle this year
Ah horrible pest, squashing regularly is the only option I know.
Charles Dowding
Yes, I believe they come twice a year
Wonderful. I have always wondered how to grow asparagus, other explanations always seem to be rather too daunting.
Great to hear, there is an industry in creating complexities!
So informative. Beautiful garden. I have 30 crowns grown from seed, that I didn't plant out (battled weeds in New beds). Now weeds are under control, should I wait til Spring to plant them out ? (Zone 4 in US)
Yes Anna I would wait, although if weeds are now gone (esp. perennials) then planting now is possibel, but you may need to water for a while.
fantastic
Tried growing asparagus 3 years ago with the trench method lost all of them will try tis method and just plant them
Good stuff
Mom measured to pick from tip of middle finger to wrist and snap off at the ground (unless it was woody, then above that point). She would leave any that were pencil thin to go to seed. Dad used to in the day, burn off the fern. But the last few years before he died, he used the riding mower. That worked for his 3 big rows.
Great results they had Carol 😀
I like your t-shirt. The writing is from my country.
Yes it's from Pai!
What does it say?
Hi Charles, along with other comments made here,I also think this is the best channel for gaining information about growing anything. I have a question, I have an allotment on which I have some three year old asparagus,it is a bit far away from where I live so I am going to give up on it, I have never harvested any spears. I have been allowed use of a large polytunnel and want to move the asparagus to it, I realise that i may have to wait for it to re-establish but would I be okay moving it in the first place. Regards and thanks for a great channel. Ray
Thanks Ray and I have not done that, heard of people moving such crowns with some success, as long as they are strong growers. Otherwise buying new ones is worth looking at.
I planted 1 year old crowns this spring, and I was wondering how long it takes to see growth...
Nice person with very presentation.
Thank you Tony
Like your videos a lot, normally answers all my questions during the video and as an auditor that is saying something as i never stop asking questions. This one does trigger loads of questions. I bought 16 crowns and put in last year, although I mulched after clearing I have a lot of weeds this year with the spears that are peeping through the mulch. Do I mulch only in autumn?
Do you put your stakes in each winter ? Does that disturb the roots?
Do the asparagus spread, hope so mine are a little disappointing so far with only four spears poking through in their second April.
I love your videos 😍 thank you so much. Can I apply the same principles to flower gardening? I am considering mixing veggies in with my flower beds for more of a cottage garden feeling. I’ll be starting new beds this fall for spring planting but I typically remove the sod for the flowers.
Yes Sheri. In the autumn we shall release a video on no dig flowers, they grow so well.
Mixing flowers and veg in the same borders is a separate subject, don't crowd them too much, slugs can be an issue.
Charles Dowding thank you!! Can’t wait to see that video 😍
I planted asparagus last year and had a small crop and still having some here and there.
But you’ll have weakened the plants for following years. There’s a good reason they say don’t take any harvest at all until the crowns are 3 years old.
I need oviously more garden space.. 😉
Great tips and a real motivation to start asparagus at some point! Thanks for that :)
After years of living in Thailand I couldn´t help but notice your t-shirt. What does it say?
Thanks, and it's something about Pai where I bought it.
I am just watching this video and 3 t-shirt it's the name of small village in north of Thailand. I am from Thailand thanks for your VDO
That's really great at the level of all your informative videos, thank you so much.
I bought seeds and have started the seedlings (for now in the house, later on in the greenhouse). I wonder if I can plant them in my SFG (square foot garden) raised beds or just wait for the next year and maybe more beds to plant separately. Have artichokes from seed too.. what would you recommend? Does it need to be in a sunny place or shade/semishade? We just moved in a rural area near Canterbury and have a bit of garden east-west facing with lots of grass fields (not ours 😌) surrounding the house.
Annie his best but not vital. Asparagus needs 2 ft.² in my experience and globe artichokes more than that!
Today is june 21st, can't wait for the 2020 asparagus harvest update 😀
Another 15kg this year Gordana 😀
@@CharlesDowding1nodig oooh that's nice!
Ok that's it. I am going to start growing Asparagus now. Is it too late to sow it from seeds now? Otherwise i'm gonna look for crowns to start with. Thanks for sharing. I always look forward to your videos!! ;-)
Nice comment Caroline and yes it's late for sowing now, I would buy crowns to plant March- April.
Some people say you can take a third in the second year. The royal horticultural society site says these and a couple of other gardening sites. But lots of people say three years too. Confused
Depends how strong is the growth, is not obvious!
Would you mind sharing what crop it is growing at your back in the video? The one that is also supported by posts and wires. And do you find it better/easier to keep your perennials in a separate area or mixed throughout?
Oregon Sugar Pod peas.
Yes easier to have perennials mostly together.
Hi Charles! Great video! Very inspiring. I think I want to plant my crowns in a similar way. But I have a question about directions. Are your asparagusbed facing (with short sides) north and south? How do you think it will work with the short sides east and west? I’m afraid the “north” row will suffer from the shade frome the “south” row.
Fair point Sanna and my rows are SW-NE so yes it's unequal and S-N would be ideal, but site dictates
Mr. Charles, sorry for my bad English. I am Brazilian, I would like to know how you do to plant fruit trees using compost and in the process without digging. Thankful.
You have to dig a hole to put them in but making sure you have plenty of mulch will decrease the amount of watering you have to do. But make sure mulch doesnt touch trunk.
If you want to use compost or manure of some kind and get a lot of rain (Brazil has a lot of climates so just guessing here) then don't put it in the bottom as it will cause water to pool there.
I am new subscriber and enjoying all your videos. Thank you! Can strawberries (Spring bearing) be planted inbetween the asparagus rows as a good companion plant? Or would they compete for nutrients and crowd out the asparagus?
That is a nice idea Tamara, and good luck!
Would you plant seeds in the bed under the fall compost you've applied or start seeds in flats?? Nice video. Thanks!
Thanks Tim and either. Sow seeds in the compost not under it, such as carrot, parsnip
Thank you so much, what a wonderful asparagus patch you have! Question, how deep do you plant the crowns? The information I find is to plant them a foot deep, we did that and have had no luck so far. They come up too late and really just 1 - 3 per plant. We are in Canada, so planting deep did make sense to me, maybe it just takes more time?
It's too deep in my opinion. These were covered by 3in compost.
Thank you, we are considering to dig them out next spring and bring them up a bit.
QUESTION: I want to make sure I understand what you were saying... that in June, around the "longest day," that is when you STOP picking the Asparagus? I want to make sure I allow some to go to fern.
That is right Annie!
Hi Charles, we are really enjoying your videos! We have tried to grow asparagus, but without much success! I would be grateful for a little extra advise, when the crowns are spread out on the 5-6” of mulch that started the no dig bed, do you add grit for drainage? As previous instructions advised a lot of grit, and also do you plant on a ridge of soil, a bit like potato s?
Finally what depth of mulch do you put on top of the crowns? In the 1st season how long do they take to sprout, and how much do you water them? I look forward to hearing your thoughts! Gilly B
None of that Gilly or I would say. Avoid grit, awful stuff for roots. Just compost and no trench, they are almost level as you see.
Small growth is year one starting say end May, crowns mulched initially with 3-4in compost, adding 1in every year
Thank you for this excellent video. Is Mary Washington a green or white variety?
Cheers and spears are picked green
Thank you Charles for all your no dig wisdom. Question, I’ve just started and grown a green asparagus bed as per your tips in our place in N Greece. The ferns are about 1.5-2m high and they are still strong and green mid Nov. Do I still go ahead and cut them back now or do I wait till they go brown and prepare to sleep for the winter? Thank you again for your superb videos.
That sounds really promising, and yes, I would wait until they go yellow, which will certainly be by the end of the year, there is no rush to cut them down.
Some years you might have a colder autumn and then they would go yellow sooner. I'm glad you like the videos!
Charles, Any recommendations in planting depth in no dig? Is there any way through plant spacing to influence the thickness or thinness of spears? Thanks!
Not that I know of Eric
My 50 crowns will be arriving June first. They were on sale and I will share with my neighbor. Will I need to fertilize them at planting and if so, with what? I'm a novice.😂🤣
No need to fertilise, just cover the planted area with a little compost
Hi Charles, I have a patch if asparagus I started years ago that is just an overgrown weed patch, I planted too deep I think. I've been moving them over the summer as time allows and I know it's not recommend but the ones I moved are doing so much better. I follow your no dig method now and make my own compost. Thank you for all your wonderful videos! I plan to buy a couple of your books to read over the winter. What ones do you recommend starting with?
That is encouraging. The Diary gives you timings and advice about no dig, while No Dig Organic Home & Garden has more detail.
@@CharlesDowding1nodig Thank you!
Like your video and like your Thai T-shirt
💚
Wonderful video as always. Since this roor plant spreads, how far of a space sid you allow for that? Im in the process of setting up my new garden bed and gave mine 10 ft by 10 ft for 6 plants? I have over 5 acres so room is not a problem.
Yes Sally you need space either side say a 2ft path all around.
@@CharlesDowding1nodig I will have to post a video or send pics of our garden- no dig method, all inspired from you. So I hope I make you proud!
Hello Charles I started my asparagus bed in NZ two years ago, so this is the second year of growth and I am patiently awaiting the first harvest in spring 2022. The green is very high and heavy and falls over although I have built the guards on both sides. Should I add a higher layer of compost next year? Any other suggestions would be much appreciated.
Sounds great Claudia. Just 3cm compost once a year in late autumn, and strong growth as you have there suggests good harvest next spring!
A question about companion planting with asparagus, would you do it? Either annuals or maybe strawberries? Or is it more of an hassle than benefit? I've have your book where you wrote that it could be a good choice.
Thanks you for bringing so much knowledge to us all!
Yes Therese when the plants are three years old or less, esp. first year. Then they use all the space. I grew lettuce and beetroot for example, in years one and two.
We Have ours by raspberries bushes, both do awesome. 15years of harvesting both.
Hi Charles, I just watched this video over 20 times and i still cant seem to figure out how to plant my crowns right now. I have 40 X (1) year crowns and wondered if i simply spread out a mound of cow manure on top of my no-dig soil and then put the crowns on top and and bury it with more manure? Or, do i dig down a bit and put cow manure inside the trench, place the crown on top of the manure? Any advice from you would be very helpful. Thank you and I love all of your videos. BTW, i am in Seattle and same growing zone.
Thanks and there is no need for a trench. You could scrape off a thin layer of soil so the crowns and roots are sitting in a slight cavity at soil level, then recover with the soil you scraped out, then spread 3-5in compost on top.
Sorry not to be clear.
Charles Dowding where does the cartboard come in?
@@guleianianamaria7758 It's to cover the weeds before putting down compost. There's a video about it on his UA-cam home page - can't remember the title!
@@guleianianamaria7758 I followed this video by Charles when our family started no-dig in March: ua-cam.com/video/0LH6-w57Slw/v-deo.html
@@CharlesDowding1nodig can we grow the crown in shade area?
Hello Charles, one question: I thought that you have to dig a drench to put your crowns in. With the no dig method, would you just put the crowns on the ground and cover them with compost?
Yes Claudia, simply that is what I do
Hey Charles. Love the vids. Are you going to do some talks up north anytime soon?
Thanks Tim & nothing planned, maybe Edinburgh January
@@CharlesDowding1nodig Thank you. If you do go to Edinburgh or anywhere else closer to me I'll do my best to get there, along with my partner 👊
I,VE watched a lots of your videos, you are so nice and clear but... what about watering the plants, what kind of sistem do you use, how often , blablabla? so far i havent seeing any way to watering ( sorry my english amigo!!. thanks, greets fron Santiago de Chile.
I am happy to help and also pleased to hear from Santiago, where I noticed there is a lot of interest in my work! In fact we are just starting to sell a calendar in Spanish, both paper and digital.
In answer to your watering question, I do not have a system because our rainfall here is reasonably regular, say 60 to 90 mm every month. We do also have some long dry spells, when we use a hose for watering by hand.
Charles do you have a video on how to plant asparagus in a no dig bed?
Not about the actual planting but it's similar to in trenches.
Just that roots are in compost, or on soil with compost over.