Asparagus from seed - help!

Hi, I'm new to this forum, thanks for the add. I bought a job lot of seeds from the Internet and among them was Connovers Colossal asparagus. I have a postage stamp yard with one very small and abandoned raised bed, which I'm trying to reclaim, and lots of pots with summer veg. I have just basically thrown the asparagus seeds in a pot to see what would happen, and they are doing very well My problem is that I was quite happy before I googled it, and apparently what I've done is both inadvisable and also absolutely not going to work. I'd already repotted the thing 3 times before I knew you weren't supposed to, especially this time of year. I realised I needed a much bigger pot, so I have today thrown caution to the wind and repotted in a large 30 litre plastic planter, with crocks on the bottom and an ordinary non peat compost, with ammonium sulphate to fertilise. I am hoping that because the crowns have not yet formed, as this is the first year, I may get away with it, but I'm essentially clueless and would love to be able to create a mobile asparagus bed! Does anyone have experience with asparagus in pots from seed?

 

I can't help you with your seeds but I wanted to welcome you to our little green corner of the world....

 

Hi,

Its not something I have actually grown, but have seen it in relatives gardens grown as an ornamental plant rather than veg.

As you can see from this link its normal to plant purchased 'crowns' and then it will take another year or so to produce any worthwhile spears.
Grown from seed I believe will take several years before you get a harvest.
Buy asparagus crowns asparagus 'Connover's Colossal'

What does concern me is if you only have a small veg bed then you will not get much of a crop from a small bed.

Can you give us the measurement of your yard and raised bed.

Though Asparagus might not be worthwhile for you, all is not lost, you can still grow lots of other veg in small areas...

 

I get seeds off my plants every year and start them in the late winter indoors. Then plant them out. I have several generations on the go out there. Now if I could only catch the spears on time to eat them. . One day they're just emerging and that usually happens when I'm busy, then bingo, I'm too late to harvest

I have no idea about wrong ways to grow the stuff.

You can grow anything in a pot if it's big enough!

Welcome to the forum

 

I've grown asparagus from seed, it took 4 years before I got a harvest so it is a slow process. I kept them in a nursery bed closely spaced the first year. Then planted 18" apart second year so mine are not in pots. I guess you could grow in pots ok but only 1 per 30l pot.

Welcome to the forum by the way.

 

Good morning @Lisa J C to GC and nice to have you with us

I can't help regarding growing asparagus as I don't grow things but your in good hands with the members who do

 

Thanks all, we've had some much needed rain today here in North Devon and everything is looking very perky in the tiny yard. The repotted asparagus is looking well in its new large pot so I guess we are all learning on our feet lol. Most of my stuff is in pots, I have recently bought a book about vegetable container growing which is so informative! The man (Paul Peacock) grows potatoes in a carrier bag hung from a washing line! I'm currently trying one of his tips, growing in leftover milk or soda bottles. Watch this space

 

Not quite sure how that would work, it would need a steel cable for the line to take the weight!

 

I thought the same, and admittedly I haven't tried it, but I've just planted some carrot seeds in plastic bottles, again this author's tip from the book, and my seedlings are poking their heads through today. I'm very intrigued to see if I can get a single long carrot in each bottle, so I will report back!

 

Thank you, so far my seedlings are very hardy, despite the ill treatment lol. I'm quite happy to wait the three or four years, getting them to grow was a happy accident. I'm learning a lot of stuff from a random selection of seeds bought cheaply on the Internet.

 

Asparagus develops a massive root system once it gets established and an established bed takes a great deal of effort to dig out when one wants to get rid of it.
You will in due course be able to harvest some, but you do need to keep the plants very well spaced in the pot.
Should be fun though, and if it isn't fun it isn't worth doing!