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Best site for asparagus...

Just received 12 crowns and read the growing distructions which say 'soil prep is vital. Remove all perennial weeds/large stones. Dig in well rotted muck or compost. The site should be open and sunny'.

This is a multiple choice Q...  

I've three possible sites, none ideal....

1.The old strawberry patch, most of the weeds were dug out last year but there were random bramble shoots popping up in it last year and I'm still finding marestail roots. No bindweed but couch grass is still popping up near the fence. Open and sunny, no big stones. 

2...Site of sweetcorn last year, last plot holder must have dumped none recycables here as it is littered with bits of plastic bags and flakey white paint bits, I managed to get most of it out last year but worms keep pushing more of it to the surface, soil could be sieved though before planting. No big stones, open and sunny site.

3. This site has been covered with black plastic all winter after being dug over, weeded and a thick cover of muck put on in October. No big stones, open and sunny site.Sounds the best site but was by far the worst to clear, had very old fruit bushes in,a thicket of rashberry canes, brambles, marestail, bindweed, couch grass and nothing has been cultivated in this area for years...so don't know what will grow back in terms of perennial weeds... 

Q is...which site would be the best to plant asparagus in...

Posts

  • iceice Posts: 332
    3 sounds best. Would keep away from 1 imagine asparagus and horsetail would not mix!
  • Zoomer44Zoomer44 Posts: 3,267

    Thanks ice, for your quick reply.

    Marestail is a problem over the entire plot.  Black plastic on 3 will have brought the maretail roots to the surface and I can dig out as much as possible but me thinks it is a perennial which will continue to be a problem in all three sites.     

       

  • fidgetbonesfidgetbones Posts: 17,618

    I would use 2.

    Actually I would grow something else on it this summer and be absolutely certain it is clean of any perennial weeds before planting asparagus next winter.

  • LiriodendronLiriodendron Posts: 8,328

    But it sounds as if there might still be horsetail (plus other nasties) remaining in 3.  I'd go for 2 as long as it drains well & you can add muck to it (& yes, maybe sieve out the big lumps of rubbish).

    You really don't want perennial weeds in your asparagus bed - the asparagus could be there for 20 years.  image

    Since 2019 I've lived in east Clare, in the west of Ireland.
  • LiriodendronLiriodendron Posts: 8,328

    Fidget, we overlapped!  But Zoomer has already received his 12 asparagus crowns so he needs to put them somewhere...

    Since 2019 I've lived in east Clare, in the west of Ireland.
  • iceice Posts: 332
    So marestail is everywhere? Raised bed? Asparagus combined with marsetail could be a problem!
  • fidgetbonesfidgetbones Posts: 17,618

    Asparagus wont care about the rubbish, but preparation for asparagus is everything. Mares tails or bindweed  in there would be a nightmare. I missed the bit about he already has 12 roots, so plot 2 would be favourite for me. Number three could still be hiding nasties.

  • Zoomer44Zoomer44 Posts: 3,267
    2, it is then. I'm going g to plant them later.
  • Zoomer44Zoomer44 Posts: 3,267
    Couldn't plant last weekend due to weather but uncovered site 2 today, it looked good, it had been dug over last year, mulched with muck and covered with black plastic.



    Discovered clay about a spade and half down, plot is next to the main national train track...went ahead and planted... It still seemed the best site...
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