​​Planting out new asparagus

Tuesday 30th October
This afternoon I arrived on site to find a group from the Association committee clearing a couple of vacant plots ready for letting so I joined them for a while tidying up, moving an entrance gate and generally getting rid of the rubbish that collects over the years.
​That done I wanted to plant out my newly acquired asparagus crowns to replace those that have failed over the last couple of years.


The crowns have long roots that are supposed to laid either side of a ridge so I dug out both sides of the bed leaving a ridge. That meant digging out from round the edges to give a ridge down the middle.


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​There was quite a bit of bindweed particularly at the far end. All the bindweed roots were collected into a plastic bowl then dumped in a bucket of water to drown.

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Then I made a smooth ridge down the centre and draped the asparagus crown roots over each side and marked each station with a post and yogurt drink bottle marker. I collect the bottles if they have screw on lids and cut a cross through the lid and push them on the cane/post. That stops me hurting myself on the end of the post and makes the post show up on the plot.




​Having spread the roots out it was merely a matter of back-filling the bed and raking it out then spreading a mulch of compost on top.













​As I had almost finished a neighbour arrived and we discussed how our friend on the plot between us would cope as he had been taken ill. On the whole his plot is very well cared for but he had some potatoes still growing - I think for Christmas - which had been affected by the cold weather so before I went home I found some old fleece and covered them for him.
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