hi all. asparagus & going on holiday ...

hi everyone. im a refugee from the closed bbc forums so please be gentle with me ive started growing aparagus for the first time this year. im aware that its important to keep them well watered in their first year. I have a holiday coming up and wondered if i ought to give them a good soaking before leaving and a good layer of bark to keep them moist while im away ? i dont imagine the bark can do any harm and will not prevent any new growth emerging ?

 

I didn't pamper my Asparagus after planting it, except when I remembered to. Not that I'm recommending that, but so long as you aren't going away for months? I reckon all you need is to water-well-before-you-go and mulch-with-something (straw would do, it you don't want the bark there indefinitely - you'll probably want to much with compost / rotted manure in future years, so the Bark might be a nuisance to have to try to remove / incorporate

My recommendation would be to crop it as little as possible when it first becomes ready. "Just a few in the first cropping season" could be replaced with "Take none that season" IMHO. No doubt if the plants have perfect weather, and husbandry, then light cropping early is doable, but I think that advice is more for "perfect" growing than what most of us actually achieve in practice!

My first cropping year was last year, and I took just enough for a meal for two (we have 60 plants), and this year we only harvested for a couple of weeks. The bed is as thick as a jungle forest now, and I am fully suspecting that I can crop from next year as much as I want & can eat.

 

thanks for the prompt replies folks. i`m only away for 3 weeks so happy to use bark as it breaks down well in my experience. i have a neighbour that may water (occasionally) but want to be sure that my asparagus bed is ok while im away ! no plans to crop next year - quite happy to be patient and wait for year 3 or 4. im a fisherman .. we have plenty of patience !

 

Good afternoon Mike,
good to have you in Gardeners Corner. Judging by the performance of this year's Summer, you'll not need to fret about it scorching in your absence. But a word with a friend or neighbour would put your mind at rest. Favour done for Favour returned in future?
Enjoy your hols and log on to GC's "What's your weather like?" when you can; we'll keep you informed,
Jenny namaste

 

I have an el-cheapo weather station hooked up to Wunderground so I can worry about the weather in my garden, specifically, all the time I'm away!!