Growing Asparagus

I have a couple of raised beds in my allotment which will be free next season and am thinking of trying to grow asparagus.Can anyone give me any advice as have never grown it.There are quite a few plot holders on my site who grow it.I believe you have to wait a few years before picking and that there is only a few months it can be picked.How is it planted,when is the best time to plant it and is there any variety that can be recommended.

 

It is a long term investment. You have to wait for 4 years before starting full cropping but once started the bed will last for years. The only thing I'd add to Marleys post is that some support is needed for the plants to stop them blowing over when fully grown. I used a short fence post at each end of the row with parallel wires. Male plants produce better spears than female ones, but as far as I can recollect the best way to ensure you get male plants is to grow your own from seed - you should do a bit of research on the www about this, but I do know that our first asparagus bed that I grew from seed was more productive than our last one which was done from bought plants.

 

Started the seeds in propagator in the greenhouse and then potted them in 3 inch pots when about a couple of inches tall. Sank the pots in a spare area of the garden for the first year and then planted into the prepared bed.
If planting outside you really do need support as when fully grown the asparagus is very tall and wind can loosen the plants at the base. Shouldn't be so much of a problem in your tunnel.
My seed grown bed was much more productive than the last one which was grown from bought crowns, though lack of productivity wasn't helped by Mrs W's weeding that pulled out asparagus as well as weeds. Can't complain though as Mrs W is partially sighted and little asparagus plants do look a bit like weeds :-)

 

Blimey four years until the first harvest

When we were over the Lottie the other day I found what appears to be a couple of fronds of Asparagus sprouting from underneath a Mahonia shrub I put down the allotment years ago and have been waiting for some damp weather to dig up the fronds and try growing them on at home,but didn't realise it was such a long wait.I think they must have come from the birds as I wouldn't have planted them at the bottom of a shrub