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Friday, March 13, 2015

Growing Asparagus: Is it worth the time & money?

This will now be a 2-part post since I recently deleted an old website of mine. I've been re-posting articles amid multiple blogs of mine lately, and have combined some posts that are related, etc.

Part 1: "Growing Asparagus: Is it worth the time & money?"

This is the question that I have been pondering today, when thinking about the upcoming garden season this year. I was thinking about trying something different, in addition to the usual crops that I plant every year. First of all, it seems that a lot of people don't like to eat asparagus, for whatever reason, but this stuff tastes great to me! Anyway, a few years ago, I had this same dilemma, but it wasn't about the money or time involved with setting it up, but more about the time it takes to get a good harvest. I move around a lot, it seems, so that is the heart of my quagmire.

Asparagus, when starting from seed, will take about 3 years to produce a decent amount of yield. If you buy 1-year-old crowns, you'll still have to wait a couple growing seasons for steady production. When you buy the expensive 2-year-old roots/crowns, you still won't have very much yield (asparagus) during the first growing season when compared to how much money you spent on the plants. Hmm...

If you are at a location that you are at least semi-certain you are going to be at for a while and have the extra room for such things, asparagus seems to be a good choice. Around here, they sell it for nearly 3 dollars a can in the grocery section and I don't even know how high it is in the produce section. People claim that it is so much better fresh, right out of the garden (like most things), but I'm totally satisfied with canned asparagus except for, well, the price. The good thing is, asparagus seems to be fairly easy to grow, going by the last few videos I have watched today.

Oh, I forgot to mention: Once you get your asparagus planted and thriving, you shouldn't have to worry about replanting any time soon. On average, it will keep coming back season after season for 15 to 20 years. I've even read that it can last for 50+ years! However, this means nothing if you move around a lot! This is also the reason why I said if you "have the extra room for such things," because wherever you plant them at, you will be dedicating that area just for this particular crop.

I could write a long list of the health benefits along with certain odd qualities that asparagus has, but I'll spare you from the verbiage. I'm just more or less talking to myself on here about whether or not I should try growing this awesome perennial vegetable. From the green varieties to purple and white, you can find it all online. I will at least provide something useful on this post, and add some quality links below...

An easy-to-follow video that shows just how easy it is to grow asparagus, if you have the time and money for it: http://perpendicularity.org/blog/2012/07/30/video-growing-asparagus-is-easy/ [Link is no longer active since I deleted that website, but I re-posted that page at the bottom of this post.]

Additional reading material about asparagus:
www.nytimes.com/2003/06/01/nyregion/cuttings-why-asparagus-belongs-in-the-flower-bed.html (link has been deactivated due to a subscription request on the web page)
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asparagus

Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons - Source = Wiki link is already provided above.

---End of Part 1 "Growing Asparagus: Is it worth the time & money?"

Part 2: "Video: Growing Asparagus is easy!"

I recently watched a video about growing asparagus and just how easy it is to grow.  All of this time, I have thought it was one of those crops that involved special care, a lot of money, and time.  The reason why I thought that way before, is because I evidently read some crap on the web a few years back, that most likely spawned from a few idiots that were just typing poppycock in hopes they would make a few bucks via their advert networks.  Anyway, in a moment, I’ll provide a video that explains in a simple fashion, just how easy it is to grow.

I already knew that asparagus has the ability to grow year after year without the worry of having to replant, but I’ve heard some folks act like some years you couldn’t get any yield and would have to let the plants “strengthen.”  Going by this video, the yield picks up the second year and thrives, under normal circumstances, for many more years to come.  Of course, you need to take care of the soil and make sure it is fertile enough, has enough nitrogen, keep it free of weeds and grasses, etc., or else this little growing endeavor may not be worth it.

Another well-known fact about asparagus that isn’t included in this particular video, is the various health benefits a person can get by eating it.  There are medicinal properties as well, but instead of me turning this “how to grow” post into a “health benefits of” article, I’ll just drop down a Wiki link, so you can get started:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asparagus

Random Tidbit: “Asparagus is a useful companion plant for tomatoes. The tomato plant repels the asparagus beetle, as do several other common companion plants of tomatoes. Meanwhile, asparagus may repel some harmful root nematodes that affect tomato plants.”

You can always search the web for more info, but try to only read from reliable sources.  When it comes to cooking this stuff, I’ve seen people steam it, bake it, grill it, use it in stir-fry, and even eat it raw.  Hell, even the store-bought asparagus out of a can taste great to me!  I especially like eating asparagus when I’m in a meat mood, let's say steak, and all I mainly want is to eat the meat but need something else to add to my plate for balance.  This is a healthy choice for a 2-course meal because it is power-packed with nutrients, and this is what I mean by balancing out a meal that lacks variety.

Oh, when I do eat asparagus out of a can, all I do is put it on a plate, drizzle it with a little canola oil and sprinkle some seasoned salt and black pepper on it, throw in the microwave for about 45 seconds, and presto!

Now, let's get back to growing asparagus and the video I’m about to provide, to show how easy this is.  Anyway, in a thumbnail, the guy just dug a few trenches about 8 inches deep, dropped in some 2-year-old asparagus crowns, keeping them about 8 inches apart, covered them back up with dirt, and his crop took off within weeks.  Okay, at any rate, that’s enough rambling from me.  
Check out the video, below:


Image Credit: Asparagus Steamer - Product Image - Fair Use - Amazon.com

—End of Part 2: “Video: Growing Asparagus is Easy!”

---End of Post "Growing Asparagus: Is it worth the time & money?"

3 comments:

  1. Stainless Steel Asparagus Steamer

    This is a nifty little steamer that is perfect for cooking the fresh asparagus you have grown from your garden or bought from the store. Actually, this stainless steel steamer is not limited to asparagus, of course, as you can use it for carrots, broccoli, corn, or whatever vegetables you can fit in there. You just add 2 or 3 inches of water (and whatever seasonings you may desire) in there and let it steam to perfection.

    The funny thing is, by what I have noticed over the years, asparagus is one of those vegetables that seems to get 2 typical responses from people, outside of the "I have never tried it before." It is either, one, that they love it or, two, that they hate it; ha! I rarely hear anybody say that it is just "okay." Well, I think the stuff tastes great! Hell, I'm totally fine with the canned asparagus (except for the price), if that tells you anything.

    Anyway, as I mentioned a few days ago, I'm thinking about growing some this year (and possibly some strawberries, too) in addition to my usual vegetable garden. Since most people steam their asparagus, I thought it would be interesting to check and see if they had steamers just for this delectable delight. Well, as shown here, they do. I seen several stainless steel asparagus steamers online, with prices ranging from 20 to 60 dollars! Good grief, you'd think there wouldn't be such a broad range in prices for such a relatively simple gadget! I understand paying a few more bucks for the stainless steel, but I was like "holy flying fecal matter!" when I seen one of these listed for $60 on Amazon. However, the one shown here was only $23 at the time; cheers!

    ---End of Post "Stainless Steel Asparagus Steamer"

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. LOL! The above comment is not spam or anything. I was moving posts to other blogs and also deleting a bunch of posts from another website here lately, and I didn't know what to do with the asparagus steamer post. I guess I could of tried to sell some steamer products, but I thought it would be more entertaining to use it as a stupid comment. Ha-ha!

      Delete
  2. If you are just randomly planting asparagus crowns into your lawn, it doesn't seem to be worth the time or money. The grass and weeds will vehemently compete with the asparagus. I guess if you have several raised flower beds that you can constantly weed, it might be worth it. Other than that, the lawnmower seems to eat most of the asparagus sprouts. LOL!

    ReplyDelete