Focus on… Asparagus
ASPARAGUS is a perennial vegetable that is often referred to as ‘luxury’ and ‘gourmet’ thanks to its specific season and the time required from starting to cropping – but trust me, everyone can afford a patch of asparagus. Let’s look at the less-costly cultivation methods, plus some growing techniques that guarantee luxury for all.
Growing essentials
Please don’t let the time you need to wait before that first cut deter you: just get on with it! Once started, a well-tended bed can last for as long as 20 years. There are two propagation options: open-pollinated or more modern, all-male F1 varieties (for more details about these, see page 20). Open-pollinated seed (which is less vigorous than F1 hybrids and therefore cheaper), sown direct will need at least three years to bulk up; one-year-old crowns take two years; and F1 hybrid modular plants somewhere in between. The additional benefit of
